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BOY'S AND GIRL'S LIBRARY. 
XXIII. & XXIV. 

UNCLE PHILIP'S 

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHILDREN ABOUT 

NEW-YORK. 



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HISTORY 



UNITED STATES 



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OB, 

UNCLE PHILIP'S 

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHILDREN ABOUT 

NEW-YORK. 



^ INTWOVOLUMEH. 

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N E W Y f) R K : 
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN SQUARE. 

1855. 



V 




[Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1835, by 

Harper & Brothers, 
in the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New-York^3 









PREFACE. 



My dear Nephews^ 
I SEND you now some farther conversations 
which I have had with the children about the his- 
tory of our own country; and when you print 
these, I hope that all the little boys and girls in 
America will be as much pleased with them as the 
young companions of your old uncle seemed to be 
while we were talking. We have this time been 
talking about the History of our own state, New- 
York ; and I suppose that my young friends were 
pleased, because we were speaking of many 
things that occurred upon the very same soil 
upon which we now walk. At any rate, they 
seemed happy, and I was contented to amuse and 
instruct them. I am very glad that they are all so 
much pleased with the study of history, for it will 
be a useful pleasure to them. You know, too, 
that no man is well educated unless he has studied 
the history of the world, and particularly the his- 
tory of his own country. So I am delighted that 
the children are all determined, in this particular, 
to be well educated. 



111! PREFACE. 

You may tell all the little readers of our cod- 
versations that a great many other children now 
come to see me, and that some of my visiters are 
larger boys than those who used to come ; and 
you must tell the little fellow who sent you the let- 
ter begging that I would talk about the Whale Fish- 
ery, that I have done so, and that you will soon 
near from me again; and perhaps I may send 
you some of those conversations. Farewell, from 
your 

Uncle Philip. 

Newtown, January 30, 1835. 



CONTENTS 

OP 

THE FIRST VOLUME. 



CONVERSATION I. 
Uncie Philip tells the Children about Henry Hudson — His Dis- 
covery of New- York — His Return to England — Afterward 
how he perished in a smaU boat at sea Page 13 

CONVERSATION II. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children how the Dutch bought land ot 
the Indians — Explains to them the use of Money — Talks of 
the "Licensed Trading West India Company" — Of Adrian 
Blok and Hendrick Christraanse — Tells of the first two Forts 
that the Dutch built in New-York 30 

CONVERSATION III. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of the English claim to Ncw- 
Netherland — Captain Mey comes to the Country — Two new 
Forts built — Arrival of Peter Minuit, first Governor of New- 
Netherland — Settlement of the Waaloons 44 

CONVERSATION IV. 

Uncle PhiUp tells the Children of the Charter in favour of 
Patroons — First arrival of Van Twiller — De Vriez's Colony at 
South river — English Claim to that River — Murder of De 
Vriez's colony by the Indians 69 

' CONVERSATION V. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children how De Vriez returns and finds 
his colony murdered — Van Twiller is made second Governor 
— After him, Kieft, third Governor of New-Netherland — Diffi- 
culties with the English 81 



X CONTENTS. 

CONVERSATION VI. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of Peter Stuyvesant, the last 
Dutch Governor of New-Netherland — How he reduced the 
Swedes on the South river — Troubles with the Enghsh — 
King Charles II.'s grant to the Duke of York and Albany — 
Arrival of Colonel Nicolls and Surrender of New-Nether- 
land Page 90 

CONVERSATION VII. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of Governor Nicolls and Gov- 
ernor Lovelace — Then talks of Anthony Colve, who was 
Governor for a short time — Tells of Sir Edmund Andros, and 
the manner in which he punished a man named John Man- 
ning — After him of Governor Dongan — Also talks of Lord de 
la Barre, and Marquis de Nonville, the French Governor in 
Canada 101 

CONVERSATION VIU. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of Lieutenant-governor Nichol- 
son—How he was forced to leave the Colony, when a man 
named Leisler became Governor — Tells the manner in which 
Indians assist their memories in making Treaties — Talks of 
the War between the English Colony and the French under 
the Governor of Canada, Count Frontenac — Massacre at 
Schenectady „ . . . 117 

CONVERSATION IX. 

Uncle Phihp talks to the Children about Governor Sloughter — 
Tells of the Trial and Execution of Leisler and Milbome — 
Talks of Richard Ingolsby, who was President for a short 
time— Talks about Governor Fletcher— Tells the Children 
something about General Schuyler, who was very much be- 
loved by the Indians — Count Frontenac attacks the Mohawks 
— Driven back by Schuyler — Sufferings of the Armi«»s . 134 



CONTENTS. XI 



CONVERSATION X. 



Uncle Philip tells the Children more about Governor Fletcher 
and Colonel Schuyler — Talks about Robert Fulton, and tells 
a story about Christopher Columbus — Cruelty of Count Fron- 
tenac — Murder of an old Onondaga Sachem by the French — 
Arrival of Richard Earl of Bellemont, the new Governor of 
New-York — Death of Count Frontenac .... Page 153 

CONVERSATION XI. 

Uncle Phihp takes a walk with the Children, and talks about the 
Pirate Kidd— Earl of Bellemont's death — Talks of Lord Corn- 
bury, the new Governor — Shows the Children what a base man 
he was — Tells how Queen Anne removed him from office, and 
sent Lord Lovelace to be Governor in his place — Talks of 
Richard Ingolsby — Speaks of Five Indians who went to see 
Queen Anne— Governor Hunter arrives — The English fail in 
an attempt upon the French in Canada 166 

CONVERSATION XIL 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of Hunter's Return to England 
— Reads part of a Letter to prove that he was a good man 
— Tells how Peter Schuyler ruled for a short time, until Mr. 
Burnet, the new Governor, arrived — Tells who William Bur- 
net was, and proves that he loved his country . . . .191 

L— B 



HISTORY OF NEW-YORK. 



CONVERSATION I. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children about Henry Hudson — His Dis- 
covery of New-York — His Return to England — Afterward 
how he perished in a small boat at sea. 

" How are you, children ? Sit down, all of 
yon, and make yom-selves comfortable — then 
we will talk more of history. I suppose you 
all know the name of the state in which we 
live ?" 

" Oh yes, Uncle Philip, and now you will 
tell us something of New- York. I am glad 
you are going to talk of that state." 

" I am glad also, my young friends, if it pleases 
you ; so we will begin. The first thing that I will 
do will be to put you in mind of something that I 
have told you before ; I mean of the patent of 
King James the First for settling the two planta- 
tions. You know they were to be between the 
thirty-fourth and forty-fifth degrees of north 
latitude — the soutliern plantation to be m.anaged 



14 



HISTORY OF 



by the London Company, and the northern one 
by the Plymouth Company. And you will 
remember, also, that the southern plantation was 
permanently settled in the year 1607." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; and you are now going 
to tell us how the Plymouth Company settled 
New-York." 

" Not so fast, not so fast-— tell me if you e\^er 
heard of such a man as Henry Hudson ?" 

" Oh yes, sir ; and I was talking with Thomas 
Wilkins about him this morning, as we walked 
here together ; and I could not make him believe 
what I told him about this man : and I am glad 
you mentioned his name, for you can tell him 
what I did, and then he will know that it is 
true." 

"Well, tell me what you said about him." 

"I told him that the Dutch people settled 
the state of New- York, and he said he knew 
that." 

"Well— what then?" 

" Then I told him that Hemy Hudson was 
the man who first came here from Europe, and 
that he was a Dutchman. But Thomas said 
that this was not so, for Hudson was an 
Englishman. And now, Uncle Philip, you will 
tell him haw it is " 



NEW-YuKK. 15 

" Tell me first how yo« found out that Hud- 
son was a Dutchman." 

"Why, Uncle Philip, my father has often 
told me that the Dutch settled this state." 

"Yes; and then you thought that as Henry 
Hudson was the first man who came here from 
Europe, that he must have been a Dutchman. 
But you are wrong, and Thomas is right ; for 
Henry Hudson was an Englishman." 

" Well, then, sir, I am wrong after all — and 
I never was more sure of any thing in my life." 

" It is best, you see, children, never to be 
too positive ; for you may sometimes feel very 
certain that you are right, when others are quite 
sure that you are wrong. But I must tell you 
that some people think that he was a Dutch- 
man, and that his name was Hendrick Hutson, 
instead of Henry Hudson; but I am siue, 
myself, that he was an Englishman. We 
knew very little about him, however, until the 
year 1607. Just before this time, the people 
of England began to think of making a northern 
passage to the East Indies. Vessels sailing 
from that country before this time used always 
to sail round the Cape of Good Hope to reach 
the East Indies ; but the people, as 1 said, 



16 HISTORY OF 

thought that the voyage might be made in a 
much shorter time, by saihng directly north. 
So, in 1607, a company of gentlemen in Lon- 
don fitted out a ship for this purpose, and gave 
the command to Hudson. He went as far as 
eighty-two degrees north latitude, and was then 
stopped by the ice from going any farther. 
So, after discovering Spitzbergen and some 
parts of Greenland that were before unknown 
to Europeans, he returned to England. In 
1608, Hudson made another voyage for the 
same purpose, and was again unsuccessful. 
The company in London was then unwilling 
to employ Hudson any longer, so he left his 
own country, went to Holland, and there entered 
the service of the Dutch East India Company, 
as it was called." 

"Why was it called by that name. Uncle 
Philip? Were they trying to do the same 
thing that the English were thinking of?" 

"Yes, exactly. So this Dutch company 
fitted out a small ship, called the Half-Mooriy 
and gave the command to Hudson, He left 
Amsterdam on the 4th of April, 1609, and 
sailed again for the northern passage to the 
East Indies. He was again stopped by ice." 



NEW-VORK. 17 

"Well, Uncle Philip, he was unfortunate — • 
this was his third voyage." 

" Yes, that is true ; but I do not know that 
we ought to be sorry ; for if he had found tha^ 
passage, perhaps we should never have heard 
of him in this country. For when the ice 
stopped him this time, he determined to visit 
America, hoping that he might make some 
discoveries there which would repay him for 
all his troubles and disappointments. He 
arrived at the Banks of Newfoundland early m 
July, touched at Cape Cod, and after sailing 
along the coast as far south as Virginia, and 
suffering severe storms, he turned about to sail 
towards the north again. On the 2d of Sep- 
tember he first saw the Highlands of Never- 
sink, passed Sandy Hook on the 3d, and 
anchored just inside of the bay. On the next 
day, Hudson saw a great many fish in the 
water, and sent some of his men on shore with 
their nets, and the first spot that they landed 
upon was Coney Island. Look on the map, 
children, and you will see all these places." 

"Oh, yes, Uncle Philip; there is Sandy 
Hook." 

"Very good. That spot was first called 
Cohnan's Point, because Hudson buried one of 



18 HISTORY OF 

his men, named John Colman there, whom the 
Indians killed. And now do you see Coney 
Island?" 

" Yes, sir — there it is, opposite King's county, 
on Long Island." 

" True ; and that island is now a part of 
King's county. Well, Hudson's men went 
ashore here and caught some fish, and saw 
some of the Indians who lived there — they 
were all dressed in deer-skins, some with long 
feathers in their heads, and a great many copper 
trinkets hanging round their necks." 

" Did these Indians treat them kindly. Uncle 
Philip ?" 

" Yes ; they treated them very kindly, for 
they brought them presents of tobacco and 
fruit, such as currants, and grapes,and pumpkins, 
and other things that they raised in the country. 
— But they looked as though they were ready 
for fighting, for they stood on the shores with 
their bows and arrows ; and their arrows had 
little sharp stones at the end, fastened on with 
pitch." 

" What were these sharp stones put there for, 
Uncle Philip?" 

" To make their arrows sharp at the end — 
they had no iron to make iron points. How 



NEW-YORK. 19 

ever, they were very peaceable — Hudson stayed 
about here for a week, and then sailed through 
the Narrows towards Manhattan Island. And 
now I will tell you a story that I have heard 
about the Indians when they first saw his ship 
coming in the water." 

",Yes, Uncle Philip ; tell us the story, if you 
please." 

" Well, my lads, listen. Some of the Indians 
were out in their boats fishing when this ship 
first came in sight. They had never before 
seen so strange a thing moving upon the water. 
They hiu:ried ashore, called their neighbours 
together, and they alf flocked down upon the 
shore to see what it could be. Some thought 
that it was a large fish or animal, others said 
that it was a large house floating upon the sea. 
When they saw it coming towards the land, they 
sent messengers to tell all the scattered chiefs 
in the country, that they might come down with 
their warriors. When the chiefs and warriors 
came down, and saw it moving towards the land, 
they said that it was a large house in which the 
Great Spirit was coming to visit them. They 
began to prepare to receive him. When it 
came nearer, some said that it was a large 
house of many colours, full of living people 



20 HISTORY OF 

One they said was dressed in red, and he must 
be the Great Spirit. Presently, when the ship 
came nearer, the Indians were spoken to in a 
language that they did not understand, and they 
answered by a loud yell. The ship anchored 
near the shore, and a small boat came to the 
land. This man, dressed in red, jumped on the 
shore, and leaving two of his men to guard the 
boat, came into the middle of a circle that was 
made by the chiefs. A large bottle was brought 
by one of the servants of the Great Spirit, and 
he poured something into a glass, and the man 
dressed in red drank it — then he poured out 
more, and handed it to onS of the chiefs ; but he 
smelt it, and then passed it to the next ; and he 
would not drink it, but gave it to the chief who 
stood next to him ; and so it went all round 
the circle unemptied. At last, one of the old 
chiefs took it and said that he would drink it, 
for it was not right, he said, to insult the Great 
Spirit. So he said he would drink it if it killed 
him. He then took the glass, smelt it again, 
and after bidding them all farewell, he drank it. 
All the Indians began to look at this chief — 
after a short time he staggered, and then fell 
down and rolled in the dirt. The woxnen all 
screamed, for they thought that he was dying." 



NEW-YORK. 21 

" Well, Uncle Philip, I do not wonder that 
tliey were frightened — what was the matter 
with the man "?" 

" He was intoxicated, for the white men had 
given him rmn to drink." 

" Uncle Philip, that was not right." 

" No, children : it was very wicked. In a 
little time this drmiken Indian went to sleep^ 
and they were all sm'e then that he was dead — 
by-and-by he waked up, said that he felt very 
happy and comfortable ; and then all the rest 
of the Indians got drunk. While they were all 
drunk, the white men went back to the vessel, 
and brought beads, and axes, and hoes, and 
stockings for the Indians. They soon became 
very familiar, and talked by signs, for you 
know they could not understand one another's 
language. The white men then said that they 
must leave them, but that they would return 
next year to see them, and would bring them 
presents. They said, when they came back 
they should want a little piece of land to sow 
seed in for their support." 

"But, Uncle Philip, why did they make 
these poor Indians drunk?" 

" To make them afraid of them. Some peo- 
ple say that this story about the white men 



22 HISTORY OF 

making ilie Indians drank is not true, but I 
believe that it is." 

" And, Uncle Philip, only think of their sup- 
posing that a man dressed in red was their Great 
Spirit !" 

" Yes, it is sad, my dear children, to think that 
they were so ignorant about the God who made 
them ; but the poor Indians ought to be pitied 
and not blamed. But now let us talk more 
about Henry Hudson. After passing Manhat- 
tan Island, he sailed directly up what the peo- 
ple in New-York call the North river. Look 
on the map, and you will see another name 
for it." 

" O, Uncle Philip, that is Hudson river, 
called after this very man, Henry Hudson." 

" That is right. Hudson sailed up this river 
in his ship, the Half-Moon, as far as the city of 
Albany, and there he stopped — but he sent his 
boat ten miles higher up, so that she got as 
far as the town of Waterford. Do you see the 
places ?" 

" Yes, sir ; there they both are on the river." 

" He had a great many friendly visits from the 
Indians up on the river. When he came down 
the river again towards Manhattan, he found 
a number of Indians collected at the head of 



NEW-YORK. 23 

that island, who shot at his ship with their bows 
and arrows. But when Hudson fired his can- 
nons and muskets, they were all frightened and 
ran away ; — two or three of the savages were 
killed, and this I believe was the only difficulty 
that Hudson had with the Indians. After stay- 
ing in the country about a month, he started to 
go home. But his men would not let him go 
to Holland where his vessel belonged, but forced 
him to go to England." 

"Well, Uncle Philip, he went nowhere but 
up Hudson river." 

"Nowhere else. He did not even send a 
boat into what is called the East river, and the 
reason given for that by some people was this. 
They say that Hudson was still looking for 
that northern passage to the East Indies, and 
therefore he knew that there was no necessity 
for his sailing east." 

" But I thought, sir, that he had given up all 
hopes of finding that passage ?" 

" Some say so, and some say not— for they 
say that Henry Hudson had a chart given him 
long before this by our old friend Captain John 
Smitn, of all his discoveries in America ; and 
that Smith and Hudson both thought that the 



24 HISTORY OP 

East India passage was to be made by going 
to America, and then sailing north." 
" Uncle Philip, do you beheve that ?" 
" No, my children ; and I will tell you why. 
In the first place, I do not think that either 
Smith or Hudson ever could have supposed 
such a thing ; and in the next place, if Hudson 
had thought so, I think he would have sailed 
straight to America when he first left Holland." 
" Well, Uncle Philip, I think so too." 
*'And now let me tell you. the end of his 
voyage. When he reached England, and King 
James heard of his discoveries, he said that 
Hudson should not sail again in the employ- 
ment of the Dutch; and so he was kept at 
home ; and his ship, the Half-Moon, was sent 
to Amsterdam. Hudson sent his journal that 
he had kept during the voyage over to the 
company, with an account of his discoveries, 
that they might know what he had been 
about ; and that finished his business with 
the Dutch East India Company. And now 
that we are at the end of this voyage, I will 
tell you another thing. Some people say that 
this country was discovered long before Hudson 
saw it." 



NEW-YORK. 25 

"Why, Uncle Philip, how is that?" 
"In the year 1775, there was a survey of 
land in Albany county. New- York. The sur- 
veyors were told to notice particularly the old 
marked trees. Some of the trees they cut 
down, and among these was a pitch-piiie-tree 
of about two feet diameter." 

" What do you mean by diameter, sir ?" 
"Two feet thick through the trunk of the 
tree. Well, in cutting down this tree, after 
they had cut into it some distance, they found 
marks and scars upon it like those made by a 
hatchet. They counted the streaks in the tree 
over these hatchet marks, and found they were 
185; and as each streak counted one year, they 
said that these hatchet marks were made 185 
years before. Do you understand this ?" 

" Oh yes, sir ; you told us when we talked 
about trees that one of those streaks was the 
same as one year." 

" Yes, it is said to be so, and I believe it is 
true. So 185 years back from 1775 makes 
1590, the year when those hatchet marks were 
made. You know too, boys, that a hatchet 
mark could not be made without a hatchet ; 
and you know, also, that the Indians had no 



26 HISTORY OF 

hatchets until tliey got them from the white 
people." 

*' To be sure, Uncle Philip, and so the In- 
dians must have known the white people in the 
year 1590. That is what you mean." 

"Yes, and that was nineteen years before 
they knew Hudson." 

" Then, Uncle Philip, that is very good proof 
against Hudson's being the first discoverer of 
New-York." 

" Stop a little, my lads, we must look into 
this ; and, as I think that Henry Hudson was 
the first white man who went into the state of 
New-York, I do not think that it is right for 
others to have the credit of his labours. What 
would you say if I should tell you that a French 
vessel went to Canada somewhere about the 
year 1540?" 

"And the men from this vessel went into 
New-York, I suppose ?" 

" No, there is no evidence of that fact ; but 
1 will tell you what we do know. We are 
quite certain that the Indians used to trade in 
Canada with these Frenchmen; and so I think 
that they got their first hatchets from Canada. 
Don't you think that this is a reasonable snp- 
position "?" 



NEW-YORK. 27 

"Yes, Uncle Philip." 

" These hatchet marks then prove that the 
Indians had hatchets as early as the year 1590, 
and that is all that they do prove. There is no 
proof that any white man ever went into their 
country before Henry Hudson did." 

" Uncle Philip, that is all clear, and Henry 
Hudson must have been the man." 

" I think so ; and though Hudson, after his 
return to England, has nothing more to do with 
our history, perhaps you are well enough 
pleased with him to be anxious to know what 
became of the man." 

"Yes, sir, I should like to hear all about 
Henry Hudson." 

" When King James forbid his entering the 
Dutch service again, he was immediately em- 
ployed by the company of gentlemen in London 
who had first patronised him. In 1610 he was 
again fitted out by them, and sent upon another 
northern voyage. In this voyage he discovered 
the large bay to the north which bears his 
name." 

" You mean Hudson's Bay, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Yes. He drew his ship up into a small 
creek, and it was frozen up during the winter. 
His provisions were nearly gonC; and he with 

L— C 



2.8 HISTORY OF 

all his crew must have perished for the want of 
food, if it had not been for the uncommon 
flights of wild birds in that part of the world. 
Hudson and his men managed to get something 
to eat by shooting these birds. "When the 
spring opened, he tried to make further dis 
:,overies, but the want of provision forced him 
CO start homeward. When Hudson saw all his 
crew suffering for the want of food, with tears 
in his eyes he divided all the bread that was left 
equally among them. Some of his men be- 
haved so badly that Hudson threatened to pun- 
ish them, and this made them angry. So some 
of the strongest of these men entered his cabin 
in the night, tied his arms behind him, and set 
him adrift in a shallop at the west end of the 
straits that lead into the bay. They put in the 
boat with him his son John, and seven others, 
sick men who belonged to the crew. And this 
was the last that was ever known of poor 
Hudson." 

" And what became of those cruel men in the 
ship?" 

" They had a hard time, my children. They 
soon went on shore, and their ringleader, whose 
name was Henry Green, was shot through the 
heart, and several others were badly wounded. 



NEW-YORK. 29 

They then sailed for England; but as their 
provisions grew scanty, they were on short 
allowance all the way ; they were forced to live 
on sea-weeds and the skins of fowls that they 
had before eaten. Many of them died, and the 
rest were so weak that one only could stand by 
the helm and steer the vessel. Indeed, it is 
said, that if they had not fortunately met with a 
fisherman and received his aid, they would never 
have reached England. But they did get home, 
and reported themselves to Sir Thomas Smith, 
who was one of the London company ; and he 
was surprised to see them, for they had been 
gone about one year and a half, and the com- 
pany had supposed that they were lost." 

"Uncle Philip, were they not punished for 
their bad conduct ?" 

" I do not know ; but the company thought 
very highly of Hudson, and sent out a ship 
early in the next year to make a search for 
him, hoping that he might possibly have drifted 
ashore and been saved. But so far from finding 
him, they did not even hear one word about 
the poor man." 



30 HISTORY OF 



CONVERSATION 11. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children how the Dutch bought land of 
the Indians— Explains to them the use of Money— Talks of 
the "Licensed Trading West India Company"— Of Adrian 
Blok and Hendrick Christiaanse— Tells of the first two Forts 
that the Dutch built in New-York. 

" Uncle Philip, what did the Dutch East 
India Company think of Hudson's voyage ? 
For as they employed him, I should like to 
know their opinion." 

"Why, of course, my children, they were 
disappointed in his not finding the northern 
passage to the East Indies, but then they felt 
satisfied that his voyage had not been a useless 
one, and that Hudson was not to be blamed for 
his failure. And as it turned out, the voyage 
was a very profitable one." 

" I should have thought, Uncle Philip, that 
they would have been better pleased than if he 
had gone to the East Indies." 

"Why should you have thought so?" 

" I do not know, sir, but really I should have 
thought so." 



NEW-YORK. 31 

" Ah, my lad, you must never talk in that 
manner, for that shows that you are not think- 
ing at all. — Every child, as well as every man, 
ought to think before he speaks, and then when 
he tells me that he thinks in any particular way, 
I shall always know that he has a reason for 
thinking so. And now I will tell you what I 
think. 

" The East India trade was, at the time 
when Hudson was looking for that northern 
passage, very profitable to the Dutch, even 
when they made a long voyage round the 
Cape of Good Hope ; and of course it would 
have been more so still if their voyages could 
have been made in a shorter time." 

" Uncle Philip, that is all clear." 

" Well. I do not pretend to say which voyage 
would have been most profitable to the Dutch 
Company, but I know one thing, and that is, that 
the voyage to New- York was a very good one, 
and I will tell you why it was so. Before 
Hudson's discovery, the Dutch people used to 
trade with the nations in the north of Europe 
for all the furs that they wanted. These furs 
cost them a great deal of money, for you know 
they are articles of luxury and comfort." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; and now you are going 



32 HISTORY OF 

to tell us how they got these furs cheaper in 
New-York." 

" Right, my childi'en, that is what I was going 
to say, — and I will tell you why they were so 
much cheaper there. The Indians did not know 
the use of money, so that the Dutch, instead of 
paying gold and silver to them for furs, paid 
them guns, and pipes, and brass trinkets, and 
copper ornaments." 

" Well, Uncle Philip, do you think that this 
was fair and honest ?" 

"Why not?" 

" It seems to me, sir, to be cheating." 

" Well, I do not think so. Suppose you lived 
in a country where there was no gold and silver 
money, and where of com'se the use of it was 
not known ?" 

"Well, Uncle Philip." 

" And then suppose some man was to come 
into that country, and offer you gold and silver 
money for a piece of land that he wanted. 
Would you take the money and let him have 
the land?" 

" No, Uncle Philip, because the money would 
be of no use to me." 

"Why not?" 

" Because, sir, I could buy nothing with it 



NEW-YORK. 33 

in the country where I Hved, and all that I want 
with money is to buy the things that I want." 

" Very good. Money is of no use to you, 
sxcept to buy what yx)u want with it." 

" But, Uncle Philip, some people have more 
money than they want ; for there is Mr. Thom- 
son, who lives next door to our house, who is rich, 
and has more money than he wants, and yet he 
keeps it all locked up, and never gives a poor 
man, who goes to his door, any thing." 

" Well, my lad, if this is so, all that 1 have 
to say of Mr. Thomson is, that he loves his 
money too well, and that this is a sin. He is 
what people call a miser, and I think that a 
miser is one of the meanest creatures in the 
world. Brrt Mr. Thomson's meanness has 
nothing to do with what we are now talking 
about. At some other. time T will tell you a 
story about a miser. You said, James, that the 
only use you had for money was to buy with it 
the things that you wanted." 
" Yes, sir." 

" Well, you would not take that money for 
the land, because, in the country where you lived, 
gold and silver were worth nothing. Now, sup- 
pose that man who wanted the land should offer 
to give you a gun for it, and should show you, 



34 HlSTORV UF 

too, liow to use the gun. Would you make that 
bargain ?" 

" I think I should, Uncle Philip, if I wanted 
the gun." 

"Why?" 

" Because the gun would be useful to me — 
and when I saw any thing that I wanted rather 
more than my gun, why then I could exchange 
my gun for that thing." 

" And would not you think this a fair bargain 
between that man and yourself, when he gave 
you something that you wanted and which 
would be useful to you, and you in return for 
it gave him something that he wanted and which 
would be useful to him ?" 

" Oh yes. Uncle Philip ; and now I under- 
stand you fully. You mean that gold and sil- 
ver money is only of use in that country where 
it can buy something." 

"Exactly, my children. Gold and silver 
money is worth nothing in any country unless 
the people in that country agree that it shall be 
* a medium of exchange' — do you know what 
that means ?" 

" No, sir ; not what those last words mean, 
but I know what you mean — you mean thai 
money is of use when it will buy something, and 



NEW-YORR. 35 

that it will buy something only in those countries 
where people agree to receive it as money." 

" Precisely what I mean. And now tell me, 
James, if you think that the Dutch cheated the 
Indians, when they gave them guns for their 
furs ?" 

"No, Uncle Philip, but I did at first." 

" Very good ; now we will go on. The East 
India Company was so well pleased with Hud- 
son's discovery, that they sent out in the next 
year, which was 1610, another ship to this new 
country. In this ship, some of the men who 
had been out with Hudson the year before, re- 
turned to New- York. When they got there 
the Indians were very glad to see them, for 
they remembered them, and the whites laughed 
very much at the poor s.avages." 

" Why, Uncle Philip ? What was the mat- 
ter?" 

"The Indians had the hoes and the axes, 
which these men had left with them the year 
before, hung round their necks for ornaments ; 
and the stockings, which they had also given 
them, they were using for tobacco pouches." 

"Uncle Philip, the Indians did not know- 
any better, I suppose ; for nobody had ever 
showed them how to use these things " 



36 HISTORY OF 

" No, boys ; and so the white men put helves 
in the axes, and cut down trees before their 
eyes ; and put handles in the hoes, and dug the 
ground ; and then showed them how to use the 
stockings. And then the Indians themselves 
laughed to think that they had been so long 
ignorant, and had canied such clumsy things 
about their necks. And now I will tell you 
something, which I think did look hke cheating 
in the white men. You know they told the 
Indians that they wanted a piece of land when 
they came back." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip." 

" Well. They bargained for as much land 
as the hide of a bullock would cover. And 
then they cut the hide with their knives into a 
rope not thicker than the linger of a child. 
They then took the rope and drew it round in 
a circular form, so as to take in a large piece 
of land." 

" Well, Uncle Philip, that was cheating." 

"Yes, my children, for that was deception, 
and deception is always mean. But the Indians 
did not quarrel with them, they gave them the 
land. These men remained with the Indians 
for some short time, made a good voyage for 
the Dutch Company, and returned. Everybody 



NEW-YORK. 37 

began to talk of the profits that were made, and 
new adventm-ers thought that they might become 
rich by driving the same sort of trade in New- 
Netherland. So for three years this trade went 
on with the Indians, and every man who was 
able, and wished to send a vessel to New-York, 
sent it, and bought furs. At last the East India 
Company began to complain, and, I think, very 
reasonably." 

" What did they complain of, Uncle Philip ?" 
"Why, they said that they had been at all 
the expense of making the discovery, and that 
others had then come in to share the profits." 
" Well, sir, that was true." 
" Yes ; but the other men who had engaged 
in this sort of traffic, said that the charter which 
the East India Company had, did not give them 
a right to any western countries which they 
might discover, for the charter expressly gave 
them a right to settle the East Indies.''^ 

" Yes, Uncle Philip, and that was true also." 
" Very good ; and I will tell you now what 
was done. The East India Company made 
their complaint to the States-General, which is 
only another name for the Dutch government ; 
and as the government itself thought the com- 



38 HISTORY OF 

plaint reasonable, the matter was settled at 
once." 

"What was done, Uncle Philip?" 

" The government passed a law, the amount 
of which was, that any person who discovered 
any new country should have the sole right of 
trading there for four years, besides all other ad- 
vantages. This law was made early in the 
year 1614, and immediately a new company 
was formed, which took for its name — ' The 
Amsterdam Licensed, Trading West India 
Company.' This company at once fitted out 
two ships, and gave the command of them to 
Adrian Blok and Hendrick Christiaanse. They 
left Holland together, but Blok's vessel reached 
Manhattan first. But he was unfortunate, for 
his ship was accidentally burned almost im- 
mediately upon his arrival." 

" Then, Uncle Philip, I suppose Adrian Blok 
made no discoveries in the country ?" 

" Yes, my lad, he did. He built a new ves- 
sel for himself, and surprised the Indians very 
much, I assure you ; for they had never before 
seen men building larger boats than canoes. 
And in this new vessel, which was rather small 
in size, Blok sailed upon a voyage of discovery." 



NEW-YORK. 39 

" Which way, Uncle Philip ?" 

" He sailed from the great river along — " 

" Uncle Philip, I do not wish to interrupt 
you as you go on, but will you be good enough 
to tell us where that river is ?" 

" Indeed, James, it is no interruption to me, 
for I wish you always to ask your questions 
when you do not understand, and then we will 
move on better. The great river is the same 
as Hudson river. The Dutch were in the 
habit of calling it by both names. So Blok 
sailed from this river along by Nooten Eylandt, 
as he called it, and went up a stream that his 
men named Helle-gadt river ^ 

"Well, Uncle Philip, these places are not 
on any map that I ever saw." 

" Oh yes. Uncle Philip, Hellgate is on the 
map." 

"Yes, but that is six miles or more from 
Manhattan. I must explain it to you, and then 
you will easily find the places. Nooten Eylandt 
is what we now call Governor's Island ; and the 
Dutch gave it that name because they found 
great quantities of nuts upon it ; and they called 
all the water which flows between this island 
and what we now call Hellgate, Helle-gadt 



40 HISTORY OF 

" That is the East river now, Uncle PhiHp, 
is it not ?" 

" Yes. Blok, after passing this river, sailed 
along the coast as far as Cape Cod, and then 
' e met Christiaanse w^ith his ship. He then 
left his small vessel to be used as a fishing- 
boat by some of his party, and v^ent on board of 
the other ship. The tw^o navigators determined 
to explore the coast before they went to the 
Hudson river, and in so doing they discovered 
two islands, which they named after them- 
selves, the one Blok and the other Christiaanse 
Island." 

" There is Block Island on the map now, 
Uncle Philip, but I do not see the other." 

" No, and you will not find it ; for the name 
is now altered. Look a little below Martha's 
Vineyard, and tell me what land you see there." 

" No Man's Land, Uncle Philip ; is that the 
place ?" 

"That is the island, children. They dis- 
covered also Narraganset Bay. What large 
island is in that bay ?" 

" Rhode Island, Uncle Philip." 

" Very good. They called it, however, Rood 
Eylandt, meaning Red Island ; but I will not 
tell you all these Dutch names, my children^ 



NEW-YORK. 41 

because there is no necessity for it ; and I am 
afraid, too, that you would not be able to re 
member them." 

" Uncle Philip, I remember all that you have 
mentioned so far." 

" I am glad to hear it, and I will always give 
the name as I go on, where there is any advan- 
tage in doing so." 

"Uncle Philip, will you tell me, if you 
please, if the state of Rhode Island was named 
after that place ?" 

" Yes, it was. It is said, too, that Blok dis- 
covered the Connecticut and Housatonic rivers, 
and the small cluster of islands that you see 
opposite Norwalk, in Connecticut. After these 
discoveries along the coast, they sailed to Hud- 
son river, and in a little time commenced build- 
ing a fortification on that river." 

" Where, Uncle Philip ?" 

" On Castle Island, just below Albany ferry. 
Here they erected their first fort, and the com- 
mand of it was given to Christiaanse. And 
now I suppose, my little friends, that some of 
you are wondering why the Indians did not op- 
pose them in this." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip, I was just about to ask 
you something of that, for I was thinking that 



43 HISTORY OF 

it was not probable that they would see this, 
and yet keep qviiet, without some good reason." 

" It is very natural that you should think so, 
my lad ; and I am very glad to find that you 
know so much of Indian character ; for this 
convinces me that you are not inattentive to 
my stories. Do you remember my telling you 
once something about the Five Nations of In- 
dians ?" 

" Oh yes, sir ; you told us that in yoiur con- 
versations about Virginia." 

" But I never told you, I believe, any thing 
of a man by the name of Champlain ?" 

" No, Uncle Philip ; w^hat have you to say 
about him ? for I never heard of any thing of 
that name, except Lake Champlain." 

" And, my lad, you would never have heard 
of Lake Champlain but for this man ; for the 
lake was named by him." 

" Who was he. Uncle Philip ?" 

"He was a Frenchman by birth, and the 
man who founded Quebec. Perhaps I may 
hereafter have occasion to tell you more about 
him. I mention him now because he is con- 
cerned with our business, for he with his 
Frenchmen was continually fighting against the 
Five Nations ; and this chove them to the neces- 



NEW-YORK. 43 

sity of making friends of the Dutch and Eng- 
Hsh." 

" Oh yes, Uncle Phihp ; and that shows us 
the cause of the Indians' peaceable behaviour 
when the Dutch were building this fort.'' 

"Yes. And then the Indians dov/n on 
Manhattan Island, who hated the Five Nations 
also, were afraid that this friendship with the 
Dutch might make them more powerful than 
they were, and might also cause all the white 
men to trade in the neighbourhood of the fort ; 
so to prevent all this, they allowed the Dutch, 
early in the year 1615, to throw up a fortifica- 
tion on the southern point of their island." 

" Is that the same fort that is now standing, 
Uncle Philip?" 

" Do you mean the one at the Battery ?" 

" Yes, sir ; what they call Castle Garden now." 

" No ; that is not the same. This fort that 
I speak of was built up above what is called 
the Bowling Green in New- York. These two 
forts gave the Dutch the possession of the two 
most important points on the river. So their 
ships came to Manhattan every year, and there 
took in their cargoes of furs which were col- 
lected from all the coasts and rivers in the 
neighbourhood, and then sailed for Amsterdam." 

I.— D 



44 HISTORY OF 



CONVERSATION III. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of the English claim to New- 
Netherland — Captain Mey comes to the Country — Two new 
Forts built— Arrival of Peter Minuit, first Governor of New- 
Netherland — Settlement of the Waaloons. 

"Uncle Philip, did the English ever sell 
Manhattan to the Dutch ?" 

" No, my lad ; why do you ask the ques- 
tion?" 

" Last evening, sir, a gentleman came to our 
house, w^hile I waiS telling my father v^^hat you 
had told me in the morning, for he always asks 
me something about your stories ; and as I was 
talking, this gentleman stopped me, and said 
that I was WTong." 

"What was you saying when he stopped 
you?" 

"I was saying that the Dutch discovered 
and settled Manhattan ; but he said that this 
was a mistake, for the English, he said, dis- 
covered it and sold it to the Dutch." 

" And what did your father say ?" 

" He said that I was right ; but the gentle- 



NEW-YORK. 45 

man insisted upon it that my father was labour- 
ing luider an error ; and so I went to bed, and 
left them talking about it; but I determined 
this morning as soon as I was up that I would 
ask you about it." 

" Very well ; we will look into this. Do you 
remember, my children, any thing that I once 
told you of Captain Argall ?" 

" Yes, yes. Uncle Philip ; he was the man 
who took Pocahontas on board his vessel and 
kept her a prisoner." 

"The same man. You remember, also, 
Governor Dale, of Virginia V 

" Yes, sir." 

" Very good. — You will remember, then, that 
when he was governor, Captain Argall was sent 
against the French in Canada, and on his return 
visited the Dutch fort on Hudson river, and took 
possession of it in the name of the governor of 
Virginia ? I mentioned this to you before." 

" Surely, sir; we know all this." 

" And as Virginia was settled, as you know, 
by the English, Argall's conquest of the Dutch 
fort was so much done for England." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; you mean, then, that he 
took possession in the name of the king of 
England ?" 



46 HISTORY OF 

" Exactly ; and so the English laid claim to 
New-York for a long time, and this was one of 
the titles by which they claimed it, but not the 
only one ; for they went back still farther to trace 
their right to the country. They said that they 
first discovered the country." 

"Well, Uncle Philip, was this true?" 

" I think not. You have all heard, I suppose, 
of the voyage which John and Sebastian Cabot 
made to America.?" 

" No, Uncle Philip, I never did. Who were 
they?" 

" They were Venetians, who were sent out 
by King Henry VII. of England, and in the 
year 1497 they reached the continent of 
America, and sailed along the coast as far 
south as Florida ; but they made no settlement 
at any spot." 

" And did the English think this a good title 
to the country ?" 

" Yes. King James I. thought that it was ; 
but there was no evidence that the Cabots ever 
saw Manhattan. But I will tell you another 
ground upon which they founded their claim. 
They said that Queen Elizabeth's patent for 
Virginia included this place, and that afterward 
it was again included in King James's patent. 



NEW- YORK. 47 

when he divided Virginia into the northern and 
southern plantations. And at last they said that 
the country belonged to England, because it was 
discovered by Hudson, and that he was an 
Englishman." 

" But, Uncle Philip, this last reason Avas the 
worst one of all." 

" Why, my lad ?" 

" Because, if Hudson was an Englishman, 
Cabot was a Venetian." 

" Yes ; and you have a very good idea about 
it — you think that if the English claim the 
country because Hudson was an Englishman, 
the Venetians had the first right to it because 
Cabot was a Venetian ?" 

" That is, supposing, Uncle Philip, that Ca- 
bot discovered the country first." 

" Very good ; and you see now the difference 
of these two claims. 1 have stated them to you 
because I think you can understand them, and 
because I wish you to bear in mind always that 
the Dutch settled Manhattan, and therefore had 
a right to it in themselves. And so you will 
never believe the story that some people tell 
when they say that the English sold Manhat- 
tan to the Dutch. And now we will move on. 

" For some years we hear very little infor- 



48 HISTORY OF 

mation about New- York, except that trade went 
on very well — occasionally disturbed by pirates. 
And so we will pass on to the year 1621, when 
the States-General made a grant to what was 
called the ' West Indian Company of the Neiu- 
Netherlands.^ " 

" That was the name of the other company, 
Uncle Philip, was it not ?" 

" Not exactly. This was a new company, 
formed with new persons. Its privileges were 
greater than those belonging to the first, though 
it had in view precisely the same object ; and 
so the powers of the first company were merged 
in the second. Is this plain to all of you ?" 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; when you say the pow- 
ers of the first were merged in the second, you 
mean that all the powers were given to this new 
company, and that makes it just the same as 
though the first West India Company had never 
existed. And now, sir, will you tell us some- 
thing of the operations of this company ?" 

"They did not commence operations until 
1623. Captain Mey was sent out by them 
during that year. He had with him a large 
number of men who were coming out as set- 
tlers, necessary materials for buildings, and sup- 
plies for forts and troops. So you see that this 



NEW-YORK. ,49 

company was resolved to make a strong effort 
to improve the country." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip, it would seem ?o ; for 
Captain I\Iey was well supplied, sir." 

" And it was fortunate, my children, that he 
was so well provided, for when he reached 
Manhattan he found the Dutch almost in de- 
spair. For two years, no vessel from their old 
home had visited them, and they had begun to 
fear that their friends had forgotten them. 
They had no friends in America, and this made 
their situation worse still. The Virginians, in 
the south, were making efforts to take care of 
themselves ; the French, on the north, were no 
friends to the Dutch, as I told you, and they 
were forced to look for kindness only at the 
hands of the Indians." 

" The Five Nations were their friends, Uncle 
Philip." 

" True, but they were busily and almost con- 
stantly employed in repelling the attacks of the 
French under Champlain." 

"That is all true, su:. Well, Uncle Philip, 
they did want friends, and they must have 
been dehghted when they saw this ship direct 
from Holland." 

"Indeed they were, for some of them had 



50 HISTORY OF 

even taken the sails from their fishing-boats to 
make clothes for themselves. After Captain Mey 
had seen and relieved them, he sailed as far — " 

"I vs^as just going to ask you if he made 
any discoveries, Uncle PhiHp ?" 

" As far as Narraganset and Buzzard's Bay, 
vv^here Blok had been before him, and then 
returning, w^ent to the Delaware river. And 
now, before we go on, you must know some- 
thing of the boundaries of New-York — I mean 
the old boundaries." 

" Oh, Uncle Philip, we none of us know that, 
but I can tell you how the state is bounded 
now. I suppose, sir, that it was much larger 
than it is now, just as Virginia used to be." 

"Yes. Captain Mey gave the country a 
new name. He called it Novum Belgium, or 
New-Netherland, and this included all the 
country from Delaware river to Cape Cod." 

" As large as that, sir?" 

"Yes. Captain Mey settled in what was 
called the southern part of New-Netherland, 
and perhaps, if you will look up at the map, 
you will see that he has left his name in the 
country." 

" I see it — I see it, Uncle Philip. There is 
Cape May, on the north side of Delaware Bay." 



NEW- YORK 51 

" But that is not the same name, Uncle 
PhiHp ; for on the map the name is May, and 
the captain's name was Mey." 

" Still it is the same name, and that difference 
is only the difference between the English and 
Dutch mode of spelling. Mey settled here, 
thinking this the most delightful part of New- 
Netherland. Not on the cape, children, but 
higher up on the river ; for he built what was 
called Fort Nassau, on the eastern bank of the 
Delaware, a few miles below the city of Phila- 
delphia. The spot where the fort stood was 
called then Tekaacho, and I believe we now 
call the same place Glocester Point." 

" I see Glocester on the map, sir." 

" The same place, I believe. During this 
same year, two other forts were built in New- 
Netherland." 

*' Where, Uncle Philip ?" 

"Fort New- Amsterdam was built farther 
down on the southern point of Manhattan Island, 
directly south of the Bowling Green." 

" That must be the one that is now there, 
Uncle Philip." 

" No, you are wrong." 

" Well, where was the other new fort, sir ?" 

" On the west bank of the Hudson, on the 
I.— E 



52 HIBTORY QF 

oend of the shore at Skaghneghtady, as it was 
then called. We call the same place now 
Albany; and this, you know, is the present 
capital of the state of New-York."- 

" Yes, sir." 

" And the name of this fortification was Fort 
Orange." 

" But, Uncle Philip, there is a place now in 
New-York called Schenectady." 

" Yes ; but that is a different place, for you 
know it is on the Mohawk river ; and if you 
will look up at the map again, you will find it 
northwest from the spot where Fort Orange 
must have stood." 

" Yes, sir, I see it, and you are right." 

"You recollect, my children, the way in 
which Virginia was governed ?" 

" By the governors who were sent out from 
England, sir." 

"Yes, and New-Netherland was regulated 
in the same mamier. This Dutch settlement 
had its governor also. But we have not yet 
talked of any of these, because there was no 
governor here until the year 1625." 

" Who was the first one. Uncle Philip ?" 

"Listen, and you will hear. In the year 
1625 the West India Company freighted two 



NEW-YORK. 53 

ships, in one of which arrived Peter Minuit, 
the first governor or director of New-Nether- 
land. The emigrants who were with him 
came from the banks of the river Waal, in 
Guelderland, and they were therefore called 
Waaloonsy 

" Where is Guelderland, Uncle Philip ?" 

" It is one of the united provinces of the 
Netherlands, in Europe." 

" What sort of men were these Waaloons ? 
Is that the name, sir?" 

" That is the name. These men were unlike 
some of the first settlers who were in the coun- 
try. The others, you know, had erected fortifica- 
tions, and were driving a very profitable trade ; 
but the Waaloons were disposed to cultivate 
the ground." 

"Then they were planters. Uncle Philip?" 

"Yes. Agriculture was their pursuit, and 
they settled on Long Island, on the bend of the 
shore opposite Manhattan." 

" That settlement, then, sir, must have been 
somewhere near Brooklyn ?" 

" Yes, you are right. Wal-bocht, or Waaloon 
bend, was then the name. It was during this 
year, also, that the first child of European pa- 
' rentage was born in New-Netherland." 



54 HISTORY OF 

"In 1625, sir?" 

"Yes." 

" And Avhat was the name of the child, sir ?" 

" She was a httle girl, called Sarah Rapaelje, 
daughter of Jan Joris Rapaelje ; and I have seen 
it somewhere stated that her father was the 
founder of Wal-bocht ; and the descendants of 
that family are in New-York to this day." 



UNCLE PHILIP TELLS THE CHILDREN THE STORY 
OF THE MISER. 

" Uncle Philip, you promised the day before 
yesterday to tell us a story about a miser ; Avill 
you tell it now, if you please ?" 

" Yes, my children, I will. Sit down, and 
I will begin. 

"As 1 was once travelling in the western 
part of the state of Pennsylvania, upon coming 
near a small town where I was to have pro- 
cured my dinner, I noticed an immense crowd 
before me, just upon the edge of the village. 
No questions were necessary to enable me to 
discover what had brought these people to- 
gether, for as I drew nearer I saw a gallows 
rising in the midst of them. I observed, also, 



NEW-YORK. 55 

standing beneath it, a young man, well dressed, 
whom I supposed to be about twenty-eight or 
thirty years of age, and for whose execution 
this gallows had been erected. I stopped, that 
I might make some inquiries into the history 
of this young man, and just at that moment 
he commenced talking to the crowd ; so I among 
the rest listened to all that he had to say." 

"Uncle Philip, will you tell us what he 
said?" 

" Yes, as well as I can remember, I will give 
you his own words : — ' I am,' said he, ' the 
son of a rich man, and my father and mother 
are still living in the city of Bristol, where I 
was born. My earliest recollections are those 
connected with the kindness of my parents — I 
was sent to school when quite young, and con- 
tinued there nearly five years, but never liked 
it much. I was not fond of my books — I be- 
came lazy, and as many wicked boys were at 
the same school, who used very bad language, 
I soon learned to curse and to swear. My 
father soon found out how very wicked and 
how very lazy I had become. He told me 
that swearing was not only unbecoming to a 
gentleman^ but that it was great wickedness and 
Bin towards God, for God had said " Swear not 



56 HISTORY OF 

at all.^^ He also told me never to be idle, but al- 
ways to be employed honestly and industriously, 
for idle people always get into trouble. I can al- 
most hear his words now as he spoke on this 
subject, " An idle mind is the DeviVs loorksliop.^^ 
My mother also wept over my wickedness, and 
entreated me to forsake my bad habits. She told 
me, too, that I was a weak and sinful child, and 
that I, of myself, had not the power and strength 
to quit my wickedness, and that, therefore, I 
should pray to God to give me that strength, 
and to make me better for the sake of his Son 
Jesus Christ. All this they both told me, for 
they are both pious and good people, and I 
wish that I had observed their instructions, and 
then I should not have been here to-day, a 
spectacle to this crowd. Indeed, they both did 
for me what they could, and my earnest prayer 
now is that they may spend the remainder of 
their lives happily here, and when they die be 
happy hereafter. The laws of the country have 
condemned me to die, and they are just, for I 
deserve to suffer death. You all look upon me 
as a murderer, and I know that your judgment 
is right ; for I confess before you all that I com- 
mitted the murder with which I have been 
charged, and for which I am now about to die. 



NEW-YORK. 57 

I have sinned against the law of my country, 
and worse than all, I have transgressed the laws 
of my Maker. But I humbly trust that I may 
be forgiven.'" 

" Poor man, Uncle Philip !" 

" Miserable, indeed, my children. For a 
short time his voice faltered, and his words 
were uttered so indistinctly that he could not 
be understood. He then proceeded to tell us 
something more of his crime. He said that 
he had known the man whom he murdered 
for a long time, and knew also that he was a 
very rich man. An opportunity offered when 
he thought that he might murder him without 
being discovered." 

" But for what, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Listen to all that he said, and you will hear. 
That he murdered him only to obtain his 
money : that he had no dislike to the poor man, 
but, on the contrary, as far as he was acquainted 
with him, knew him to be a very good man ; 
but he was anxious to get possession of his for- 
tune. This was his only inducement for com- 
mitting so horrible a deed." 

" But, Uncle Philip, he was rich himself." 

" That is true, but still he wished for more. 
He said that he had money, but never supposed 



58 



HISTORY OF 



that he had enough. From some almost unac- 
countable cause, he began ' to covet his neigh- 
bour's goods' more and more, although he was 
aware that he had enough for all the necessary- 
purposes of life. ' Surely,' said he, * Content- 
ment is ivealth indeed.'* 

" He then told us something more of his early 
life. He continued as a boy to neglect his books, 
and to swear, and soon became tired of the ad- 
vice of his father and the prayers of his mother. 
He wished to become a clerk in a counting- 
house, but his father was anxious that he should 
remain at school. At length he ran away from 
Bristol, went to London, and there entered into 
the service of a rich merchant named Daniel 
Jones. He lived with him six years, and then 
left him and sailed for America. He talked to 
the crowd, my children, for more than an hoiu- 
and what I have related is the substance of 
his story. When he had finished speaking, he 
ascended the platform of the gallows and was 
immediately executed." 

"Well, Uncle Philip, this was a sad scene." 

" Indeed it was. The crowd in a short time 

was scattered, and every man who had any feel 

ing was returning to the village much affected 

with what he had seen and heard. Indeed, my 



NEW-YORK. 59 

children, I do not think that I have ever, before 
or since, seen so many sad-looking faces to- 
gether." 

" I do not w^onder at that. Uncle Philip." 
" Among others who moved away from the 
spot with a sad countenance, was an old gray- 
headed man, who had been a close observer of 
all that had been said or done by the poor 
prisoner. He appeared to be interested more 
than most of the men who were there ; and I 
concluded that he perhaps knew something 
about the young man or his family, of which I 
knew nothing. So I spoke to him, and asked 
him if he knew the name of the young man 
who had just been executed ? 

" ' Know him,' said the old man, ' indeed, T 
knew poor Tom Watson well, for I was ac- 
quainted with him when he was in that same 
counting-house that he has been speaking 
about. Poor fellow ! little did 1 think, when I 
saw him passing my door every day when he 
was a cheerful and playful lad, that this would 
be his end. But, perhaps, I ought not to 
wonder at his fate. He said that his parents 
were both alive, and I cannot avoid thinking 
of the misery which his poor mother must feel 



60 HISTORY OF 

when she hears that her child is dead — not only 
dead, but that he died on a gallows !' 

" I then asked him to tell me something 
about the young man, for I felt interested in 
him very much. 

" ' I arrived in the village,' said the old gen- 
tleman, 'late last evening, and heard that a 
man named Thomas Watson Avas to be ex- 
ecuted this morning. I was uncertain whether 
it was the same man that I knew in England, 
and therefore I determined to go to the place of 
execution. But there was no mistake in my 
supposing that it might be him, for I knew him 
as soon as I heard the first word that he ut- 
tered. His countenance, too, his size, and every 
thing else served to convince me that it was 
the same man, and his story was in part exactly 
what I knew it to be.' 

" ' Can you tell me any thing of his parents V 
said I. 

" ' Not much more than he has already told 
you. I have seen some of the letters which 
his father wrote to him from Bristol, requesting!; 
him to come home ; and I frequently entreated 
him to comply with his father's wishes. But 
his answer always was that he never would 



NEW-YORK. 61 

go home again. I was particularly desirous 
that he should return to his friends in Bristol, 
because I thought that his situation in London 
was as bad as it possibly could be.' " 

" Uncle Philip, will you let me interrupt you 
for one moment ? Did this old man who was 
talking to you live in London ?" 

" Yes, his home had been in London." 

" And now go on with the story, sir." 

" The old man continued to talk. ' I said, 
just a moment ago, that I little thought that 
poor Tom Watson would have died on a gal- 
lows. But, on reflection, I ought not to won- 
der ; for had you known him in the days of his 
childhood, you would not be surprised at his 
end this morning.' 

" ' Will you explain what you mean, sir V 
said L 

" The old man answered — ' Sir, if you had 
known Daniel Jones, you would understand 
me.' He then went on to tell me all that he 
knew about Mr. Jones. 

"'Daniel Jones is now, and has been for the 
last thirty years, one of the richest merchants 
in London. He is knovv^n there as the greatest 
miser in that city ; the greatest, in fact, that I 
ever knew anywhere. He was born rich, and 



62 HISTORY OF 

before he was a man, a rich uncle of his died, 
and left him all his fortune. When he became 
a man, he was not satisfied with all this wealth, 
but determined, if he could do so, to increase 
it. So he commenced business in London, 
and made a great quantity of money. Every- 
body who knew this man disliked him, for they 
said that he was wicked and mean, and that he 
cheated honest people. But I myself was not 
then acquainted with him. However, it was 
while he was engaged in business that Tom 
Watson came to London in distress, with a lit- 
tle money in his pocket ; and it so happened 
that he found employment under this old miser. 
And the day, sir, in which he entered Daniel 
Jones's service, was the worst day of his life. 
You heard the young man, a little while since, 
say " that he became, from some unaccountable 
cause, covetous of ^his neighbour's goodsy 
But the cause is not unaccountable to me. I 
know what it is, and where it began. He 
learned covetousness from his master. It is 
not strange that a child should imitate the old 
people who are near him — indeed, he must 
look to them for examples, and he ought to do 
so ; and all I wish is, that old people would 
always set before young ones good examples 



NEW-YORK. 63 

This boy continued with his master for some 
years, and then thinking that he might do better 
for himself in another country, he sailed for 
America. What he has done in this country 
I do not know, except that he has murdered a 
man, and been executed for it.' 

" ' And you think, then,' said I, ' that this old 
miser is to be blamed for the wickedness of the 
young man V 

" ' Surely, sir, I do, in a great degree ;' said 
the old man. * You know the old saying, that 
" Example goes farther than precept ;" and in 
this case it was made true. The boy only did 
what most boys would have done under the 
same circumstances. His master would some- 
times tell him not to covet his neighbour's 
goods, but he coveted them himself every day 
of his life ; and the boy knew that he did so — 
for the old miser was constantly saying before 
him, " that he wished he had as much money 
as some rich neighbour had ; and that the poor 
people would not plague him and ask him for 
money; and that there was no such thing as 
comfort and happiness without money." 

" ' All this he said, and a great deal more, 
before the boy; and, besides this, his dress and 
his habits plainly showed that money was his 



64 HISTORV OF 

god. And do you wonder, sir, that a child, with 
such a pattern before him, should have learned to 
covet what did not belong to him ; should have 
become a miser, and at length murdered a man 
to get possession of his money ? His master, 
too, I have heard, told him sometimes to ask 
more than the regular and proper prices from 
customers who came to the office to buy; and 
insisted upon it that this was honesty, because 
it was always honest to take the highest price 
you could get for any article. So you see the 
boy learned also to cheat a little. Was not this 
school a good one in which to teach a boy to 
become a miser V 

" I told him, my children, that 1 thought it 
was. 

"The old man then spoke again. 'Daniel 
Jones's dress, sir, was always like that of a 
ragged beggar. Every thing that was near 
him was uncomfortable. Even his dumb ani- 
mals suffered ; for his old horse was only allow- 
ed shoes for his fore feet, because those on his 
hind feet were thought an unnecessary expense. 
I will tell you, sir, some stories, to convince 
you that what I say of old Mr. Jones is true ; 
for I would not have you suppose that my de- 
scription is not accurate.' 



NEW-YORK. 65 

" I told him to go on. 

" ' The old miser, sir, was formerly, and is 
now, I suppose, very fond of taking snuff. He 
thought it, however, extravagant, and would not 
buy it, though he carried a snuff-box. He 
would ask of every man whom he met to give 
him a pinch of snuff ; and in that way in the 
course of a month he would fill his box, and 
with this snuff he would buy a farthing candle 
to go to bed by at night ; for he would not allow 
it to be lighted except at bedtime. 

" * He very seldom washed his face or his 
hands, and when he did wash them, he would 
dry them in the sun ; for he thought that it was 
too expensive to buy towels, and to pay for 
them when they were washed clean. These 
stories appear strange, perhaps, but they are 
nevertheless true. 

" ' I will tell you what I myself saw him do 
on one occasion. It was on a warm morning, 
in the month of July^ that I once met him. It 
was near the Royal Exchange, in London. 
As he walked on, a gentleman who noticed his 
ragged and filthy appearance supposed him to 
be a beggar ; and as he passed him he kindly 
slipped a penny into his hand. Mr. Jones re- 
ceived it apparently with surprise, but at any 



66 HISTORY OF 

rate he pocketed the penny. I afterward 
learned, sh*, that at that very moment he had 
two thousand pomids, Avhich he was anxious to 
loan upon interest.' 

" * Can it be possible,' said I, ' that any man 
is so mean ; so perfectly in love with money V 

" The old man said, that he had witnessed 
It himself, and so he knew it to be a fact. He 
said, too, that he had heard many things about 
him, if possible, meaner than this. By this 
time, however, we arrived at the village tavern, 
and he was inteiTupted by the crowd of men. 
Dinner was prepared for us, and after that, I 
left him, and started on my journey. As I 
shook hands with him, I remember his parting 
words — ' Example^' said he, ' is better than 
'precept, alumysy^ 

" Is that all. Uncle Philip ?" 

" Yes, my children ; and I wish to know 
what you think of this story ?" 

"I thinjf, sir, that Mr. Jones was a very 
wicked man." 

"And I think, Uncle Philip, that if Tom 
Watson had never lived with him, he would 
never have been hanged." 

" I think so, too ; and the story means this . 
that people learn to be wicked sometimes by 



NEW-YORK. 67 

having had examples before them. The oldest 
of you, then, my dear children, must remember 
that you, perhaps, have younger brothers and 
sisters who may become wicked by following 
your examples ; for if you are wicked, they 
will very soon learn wickedness also. And 
those children who have no brothers or sisters 
must bear in mind, that other children, who 
sometimes are at play with them, may be made 
wicked by them. And remember, always, that 
we have enough to answer for if we sink our 
own souls into ruin. But how wretched must 
that creature be who, not satisfied with ruining 
his own soul, must answer also for the souls 
of others that he has misled. And think, too, 
how people are deceived b}^ vice. When they 
once begin to practise it in small things, how 
little do they know where it will end ! Vice 
grows from little things to larger ones, and from 
larger ones to great ones always. No man 
ever became a murderer at once ; and Tom 
Watson, when he practised disobedience to his 
parents, little thought that he would end his 
life upon a gallows ; and perhaps Mr. Jones, 
if he thought at all, little supposed tliat his ex- 
ample was ruining the little boy who was neai" 

him. 
I— F 



08 HISTORY OF 

" But do you think that old Daniel Jones 
should bear all the blame for this young nian*s 
wickedness ? Was not Tom Watson wicked 
before he ever saw Mr. Jones ?" 

" Oh yes, Uncle Philip, he was disobedient 
to his parents." 

" Yes ; and a disobedient child is always 
punished by God — for God has said, * Honour 
thy father and thy mother.^ Go home now, 
my children, and remember the story of poor 
Tom Watson when Uncle Philip's head is laid 
low in the ground.'* 



NEW-YORK. 69 



CONVERSATION IV. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of the Charter in favour of 
Patroons — First arrival of Van Twiller — De Vriez's Colony at 
South river — English Claim to that River — Murder of De 
Vriez's colony by the Indians. 

"Well, Uncle Philip; we will hear, this 
morning, if you please, something more of 
Governor Minuit. What did he do while he 
was governor?" 

"He behaved very well. He found that 
trafficking with the natives was the most profit- 
able business, and he continued to do this for 
some time. In four years the trade increased 
one half, and this fact will show you what 
Governor Minuit was doing. But this did not 
satisfy him. He commenced trading Avith the 
English, who were settled at Plymouth, in Mas- 
sachusetts, and the Indians also, at a place 
called ManometP 

" Where is that place, Uncle Philip ?" 

" You will not see it now. It was on the north 
side of Cape Cod. Mr. Bradford, who was at 
this time governor of the New-England colony, 



70 HISTORY OF 

objected to the trafficking of the Dutch at Mano- 
met. But the Dutch were so much disposed 
to be friendly to the Enghsh colony, that the 
governor was better satisfied; and for some 
time this trading intercourse went on at Mano- 
met, until the Virginians discovered that this 
was a good market for the Dutch, and drove 
them away by underselling them in their 
tobacco. Minuit also built several houses — 
the governor's house within Fort Amsterdam, a 
magazine for stores, and private buildings for 
the officers, soldiers, servants, and slaves of the 
company." 

"Uncle Philip, did they have slaves in this 
state, also?" 

" Yes — ^but you know there are no slaves in 
this state now. In 1629, my children, the 
West India Company adopted what they called 
the charter of 'Liberties and Exemptions for 
Patroons, masters, and private individuals, who 
should plant colonies in New-Netherland, or 
import thither any cattle.' You understand 
this ?" 

" Yes, sir, I believe so. It means that certam 
private individuals were to have the privilege 
of planting colonies there upon certain condi- 
tions." 



NEW-YORK. 71 

" Yes, but you must recollect that the com- 
pany reserved to themselves the right to the 
Island Manhattan." 

" Very good, Uncle Philip, will you go on, 
sir, if you please ?" 

" This new charter induced several men, 
Goodyn, Bloemaert, Van Renselaer, and others 
in Holland, to send out to New-Netherland 
Wouter Van Twiller as their agent, to inspect 
the condition of the country, and to purchase 
lands from the natives for the purpose of settle- 
ment." 

" And where did he make his settlement, sir ?" 

" In different parts of the state. He purchased 
lands on the Hudson river as high up as Fort 
Orange, and others near Cape May. These 
lands belonged, of course, to the men for whom 
he purchased them. But the company became 
dissatisfied." 

" What was the matter. Uncle Philip ?" 

" They thought that these private purchases 
and settlements interfered with the interests of 
the company." 

" Uncle Philip, will you tell us in what way 
their interests were hurt? Really, I should 
have thought that it was an advantage, because 
it was settling the country." 



72 HISTORY OF 

" 1 will soon show you, by one example. 
Among the men who had made purchases was 
one named Michael Pauuw. He owned what 
he called Pavonia, a piece of land opposite 
Manhattan Island, and which included the spot 
where the Indians assembled to traffic in bea- 
ver, or to cross to Fort Amsterdam." 

" Oh yes. Uncle Philip ; and this interrupted 
the trade at Fort Amsterdam; and the com- 
pany had reserved that, you said, for them- 
selves." 

" Is it plain to all of you, now ?" 

" Yes, sir, quite so." 

"Very good; and you will now see how 
these patroons, who had purchased, attempted 
to satisfy those who were displeased. They 
had agreed among themselves to unite their 
interests ; that is, to defray the expenses together, 
aiid share the profits together also. They now 
invited some directors of the company to join 
them as copartners upon the same terms." 

" Uncle Philip, will you explain that, if you 
please ?" 

" They invited some of the directors of the 
company to join them in the expense of settling 
the purchases that they had made, and to share 
profits with them." 



NEW-YORK. 73 

" Yes sir, now I know. And did this satisfy 
the company?" 

" In part, only. At any rate, those to whom 
the offer was made consented to the proposal, 
and in 1 630 they equipped a ship which was to 
sail to the South river, which we now call the 
Delaware. They procured, as the commander 
of this ship. Captain de Vriez, an experienced 
navigator, who had just returned from the East 
Indies. He was no director of the company, 
but consented to act, provided that his advan- 
tages should be equal to those of any of the 
patroons. The main object that they had in 
view in this settlement was the cultivation of 
tobacco and grain ; and they thought that they 
could make the South river as famous for its 
agriculture as the North river was for its com- 
merce. Another object, however, that they 
thought of, was fishing for whales ; for at that 
time Long Island, or the Island of Shells, as it 
was then called, was famous for the number of 
whales on its coasts." 

" Uncle Philip, I should like to know some- 
thing of the manner of catching whales." 

" Well, my lad, you shall know, at some other 
time, all about it ; for we will make that the sub 
ject of one of our Conversations hereafter- But 



74 HISTORY OF 

now I will go on with this story. The ship 
was loaded with instruments for this fishery, 
and with agricultural articles, seeds, and cattle. 
Then between thirty and forty men embarked 
as colonists under Captain de Vriez. 

"He left Holland early in December, 1630, 
and arrived at the South Bay in the course of 
the winter. He sailed a short distance above 
Cape Henlopen, and entered a small creek 
abounding with oysters. They selected a place, 
and built a house upon it, which was to serve 
as their fort and house of commerce. They 
called this spot Hoeren-kill. If you will look 
on the map of Delaware, children, you will see 
Lewistown upon this creek. This is said to 
be the same place. Lewistown was the name 
afterward given to it by Mr. Penn." 

" Who was he, sir ?" 

" You will hear of him at some other time» 
when we talk of another state." 

"Yes, Uncle Philip, you mean Pennsyl- 
vania." 

" Uncle Philip, you told us how Cape May 
obtained its name ; can you tell me who named 
Cape Henlopen?" 

"Yes. This cape is supposed to have re- 
ceived its name from Henlooven^ a Holland 



NEW- YORK. 75 

The climate in the winter was s& 
mild that they did not suffer much ; and when 
spring opened they erected shelters, prepared 
fields, and commenced cultivation. This plan 
tation was partly in Sussex and partly in Kent 
counties, in the state of Delaware, and the 
Dutch called it Swaenendael, or Valley of 
Swans. These were the only Europeans now 
settled on the South river." 

" No, Uncle Philip, you forget Captain Mey." 

" No ; for he had left the country, and Fort 
Nassau was now in possession of the Indians. 
I said that they were the only people from 
Europe on that river, and 1 think that they 
alone had a right to hold lands there. Do 
you know that England claimed this country 
also?" 

"No, sir." 

" England claimed it as the discovery of 
Lord de la War in 1610, but the Dutch laid 
claim to it upon two grounds. In the first 
place, they said that Hudson discovered it in 
1609 ; and, in the second, they urged that they 
had purchased the land from the natives. The 
English in their turn pleaded also the discovery 
of Cabot/' 



76 HISTORY OF 

" They claimed through him before, sir." 

" That is true ; and tell me what you thnik 
of these titles. Who owned the country, the 
EngUsh or the Dutch ?" 

" The Dutch, I should think, sir." 

" I think so, too. The Dutch, in order to 
give some sign of formal possession, and that 
everybody might know that they occupied the 
country, erected at Swan Valley a pillar, with 
a piece of tin upon it, on which was figm'ed 
the emblem of Holland. Do you understand ?" 

" Yes, sir. You mean they placed a mark 
upon the tin which showed that they were 
people from Holland." 

" Not only were people from Holland, but 
had a right to the country. And this thing 
made a great deal of mischief." 

"How, Uncle Philip?" 

" The Indians did not know why the piece 
of tin was placed there, or what it meant 
They did not know that this was the way in 
which European nations showed their right to 
particular countries. So one of their chiefs 
very innocently took the piece of tin down to 
manufacture tobacco pipes for himself. The 
officers of the colony were in a rage. They 



NEW-YORK. 77 

thought that the Indian was not only guilty of 
insult to their country but also of stealing their 
property." 

" Uncle Philip, this was very foolish, for the 
Indian knew no better." 

" Surely it was ; and if Captain de Vriez 
had been on the plantation, perhaps no difficulty 
would have occurred." 

" Where was he, Uncle" Philip ?" 

" He had returned to Holland, leaving a man 
named Gillis Osset as commander during his 
absence. Nothing on the part of the Indians 
could satisfy this man. He still continued 
angry. At last, the poor Indians finding it im- 
possible to make peace with the commander, 
and not knowing how to settle matters other- 
wise, cut off the head of the offending chief, 
and brought a token of this bloody deed to 
Osset." 

"Uncle Philip, that must have given Mr. 
Osset some painful feelings. Wliat did he do, 
sir ?" 

" He told them that they had done wrong ; 
that they should have brought the chief to him 
that he might have reproved him, and then 
dismissed him. But the fact was, my chil- 
dren, he knew that he had acted wrong; for if 



78 HISTORY OF 

he had not been so unforgiving, this Indian 
chief would never have been murdered. And 
this gave him a heartache. Sin alw^ays makes 
mischief, and very often mischief that cannot 
be undone." 

"Indeed, sir; this was mischief that could 
not be mended." 

"Yes; but this murder was not the only 
trouble that occurred. The friends and rela- 
tions of this murdered chief determined to re- 
venge his death. They resolved, too, to inflict 
such vengeance upon the colony, that not one 
white man should breathe in their country, or 
escape to tell what had become of his com- 
panions. They soon found an opportunity. 
The season of tillage had arrived, and the white 
men were very busy in the cultivation of tobacco 
and grain upon their fields at some distance from 
the fort. The commander and one sentinel 
were the only individuals left in the fort. The 
Indians came near and concealed themselves, 
and then sent three of their boldest warriors 
into the fort, who entered under pretence of 
selling their beaver skins to the commander as 
usual. They passed the sentinel without being 
suspected, and advanced towards the com- 
mander, who was standing near the door. He 



NEW-YORK. 79 

went in with them to transact the business ; and 
having bargained, he went up into the garret 
where the pubhc goods were kept, in order to 
obtain the things promised in exchange for 
their beaver skins. During his absence, the 
Indians placed themselves near the staircase, 
and waited until he should return. The instant 
he descended, one of the Indians split his head 
open with an axe, and he fell dead on the 
floor." 

" Shocking, Uncle Philip !" 

" They immediately then rushed on the sen- 
tinel and murdered him. There was a large 
bulldog chained just outside of the house, and 
they even killed this poor animal. They shot 
twenty-five arrows into his body." 

" Indeed, sir, Indians are horribly cruel." 

" They had now the quiet possession of the 
fort; and they hurried onward to finish their 
plan of destruction. The colonists, as I before 
told you, were scattered through the fields, 
busily engaged. They were unarmed, of course, 
and unsuspicious, for they had often seen tribes 
of Indians pass and repass their settlements 
before, and yet they had not disturbed them. 

" The Indians, when they came to the fields, 
walked very slowly towards the white men, and 



80 



HISTORY OF 



spoke to them in a very friendly way. - The 
colonists supposed that they had come there 
merely to see their skill in cultivating the 
ground. But they v^^ere sadly mistaken — for 
at a given signal the Indians fell upon them, 
and butchered them one after another until 
there wsls not one man left. They left the 
murdered bodies on the ground, and then re- 
turned and destroyed the fort. So this was the 
end, my children, of the colony." 



NEW-YORK. 81 



CONVERSATION V. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children how De Vriez returns and finds 
his colony murdered — Van Twiller is made second Governor 
— After him, Kieft, third Governor of New Netherland — Diffi- 
culties with the English. 

" Uncle Philip, that was a sad story that 
you told us yesterday. How many men were 
in that colony, sh'?" 

" Thirty-four." 

" And not one man was left ?" 

" Not one. In December, De Vriez returned 
from Holland. When he entered the bay, every 
thing was as still as death. He fired a cannon, 
but still he saw nobody. The next morning he 
spied some of the savages near the edge of the 
forest. De Vriez ascended the creek in his boat 
until he saw the valley covered with the sculls 
and bones of his murdered countrymen. He 
beckoned to the savages to come to him, and 
promised them peace ; but they would not trust 
him. At last one of them entered the boat, and 
he gave him a present. Others then followed 



82 HISTORY OF 

his LXcimple ; and so De Vriez learned from 
them how his colony had been destroyed." 

" How sad he must have felt, sir. What did 
he do, Uncle Philip?" 

"On the next day he met the assembled 
chiefs, formed with them a treaty of peace, and 
gave them presents. — The Indians departed, 
delighted to find that they were not to be 
punished." 

" Uncle Philip, his conduct was very unlike 
that of the Indians. I like this man, sir." 

"De Vriez, in this second voyage, did not 
bring many men with him. He had come ex- 
pecting to cultivate the soil, but his principal 
object was the whale fishery." 

" How did he succeed in this. Uncle Philip?" 

" Not well. It was an unprofitable business, 
and he remained in the country but a short 
time. While he was here, however, his pro- 
visions were exhausted. In order to obtain 
supplies for his people, he visited the Indians 
on the South river, beyond Fort Nassau. They 
advised him to go into the Timmerkil, which 
was a little creek opposite Quequenaker, or — " 

" Where are these places, sir ?" 

" The last named place we call Philadelphia 
now ; and Timmerkil is now, I believe, called 



NEW-YORK. 83 

Carpenters' creek. At any rate, De Vriez was 
about entering this creek, but was advised by a 
female Indian not to do so. She informed him 
that the crew of a vessel had lately been mur- 
dered there ; and so he returned to Fort Nas- 
sau. Here he made a treaty of peace with 
these Indians, and gave them presents." 

" But, did he get supplies, sir ?" 

" No. When he failed in his object in the 
South river, he resolved to visit Virginia, and 
obtain supplies there, if possible. When he 
reached Virginia, he learned from the governor 
of that colony that a party had been sent to the 
Delaware, and nothing had ever been heard of 
them ; and this proved the truth of the Indian 
girl's story." 

" Uncle Philip, what was her name ?" 

" I do not know, my children. De Vriez 
procured provisions here ; and, having received 
several presents from the governor, he returned. 
Finding that there was no prospect that the 
fishing business would become profitable, he, 
with all his men, embarked for Holland, visit- 
ing on his way Fort Amsterdam. 

" He was received there by Wouter Van 
Twiller, who had just arrived from Holland as 
the second ffovernor of New-Netherland." 



84 HISTORY OF 

" The same man that was there before, sir ?" 
"Yes." 

" Where was Governor Minuit, sir ?" 
" He had retm-ned home ; for the dh-ectors 
of the company had recalled him." 
"What had he done, Uncle Philip?" 
" I cannot tell you. Some say that he was 
displaced for mismanagement; while others 
think that Van Twiller (who, you will recollect, 
had been in the country in 1629) had, by his 
intrigue and cunning, produced a disagreement 
between the company and Minuit, in order to 
procure the situation of governor for himself." 
"What' year was this, Uncle Philip?" 
" 1633. I told you, my children, that the 
Waaloons were agricultural people ; — that du- 
ring Minuit's administration very little attention 
was paid to this matter. None of the patroons 
had yet arrived in the country ; but just after 
Van Twiller was made governor, De Heer 
Van Renselaer shipped some colonists with 
farming stock, implements, and necessaries, 
and caused some houses to be erected. The 
first large island south of Fort Orange was cul- 
tivated; and on this island, Renselaerburgh, 
afterward the place where the patroons lived, 
was laid out. And now, before I proceed 



NEW-YORK. 85 

farther, I must go back a little to tell you of an 
Indian conquest, in order that you may under- 
stand better the difficulties that arose between 
the English and Dutch. 

" The chief of the Pequods, in 1631, finished 
the conquest of the country from Narraganset 
towards the Dutch settlements." 

" Who owned the country, sir ?" 

"The Mohegan Indians. They were sub- 
dued and expelled from their country, and their 
sachems were anxious to obtain the aid of the 
New-Englanders in making another effort for 
the possession of their country. — The New- 
Englanders were willing to assist them, hoping 
to secure to themselves the possession of the 
lands on Connecticut river. But the Dutch 
had, at Narraganset Bay, an Indian commander 
in their interest and service ; and when they 
learned what the New-Englanders were doing, 
they ordered him to purchase from the Pequod 
conqueror the land on that river, or at least as 
much of it as the Dutch could see from the 
trading-house which they intended to build 
there. The land was bought ; but before pos- 
session was obtained, the New-Englanders 
prepared to establish the Mohegans again in 
their country. And this, my children, was the 



86 HISTORY OF 

cause of much bitter feeling between the Dutch 
and Enghsh settlements. Remember this." 
" Yes, Uncle Philip ; please to go on, sir." 
" Wouter Van T wilier cultivated the ground, 
cleared more land, and erected within Fort 
Amsterdam a large house, where he and the 
members of his council assembled. Just on 
the outside of the fort he built a church. He 
granted lots of land in the neighbourhood of 
the fort to some of the settlers, and they built 
low houses fronting the shore ; and as they 
were afraid of the Indians, these houses were 
built near the fort. Have any of you ever been 
in the city of New- York ?" 

"No, Uncle Philip." 

" Well, if you should ever go there, you can 
observe the crookedness of Pearl-street; and 
it is said, that these houses built around under 
the shelter of the fort, was what gave that 
street its present semicircular form. Some of 
these buildings were built of brick, but most 
of them were constructed of wood, covered 
with reed or straw roofs, and had wooden chim- 
neys." 

" How many people are in New-York now, 
Uncle Philip?" 

" More than two hundred thousand ; and 



NEW-YORK. 87 

most of the houses are now built of brick, three 
stories high ; and the streets, too, are all paved 
with stone. Van Twiller also erected wind- 
mills to grind corn for his men, and these things 
frightened the Indians very much. They said 
they ' were afraid to go near his long arms, and 
his big teeth biting the corn to pieces.' They 
called the negroes whom they saw in the fields 
' a breed of devils ;' and they looked upon the 
white men as supernatural beings." 

" What does that mean, sir ?" 

" Beings who had extraordinary powers, as 
great as they supposed their god possessed." 

" How ignorant they were. Uncle Philip !" 

" Surely they were." 

" Uncle Philip, I should like to know what 
became of Minuit upon his return home ?" 

"He did not remain long in Holland, but 
went to Sweden, and entered the service of 
Queen Christina, the daughter of the great 
Gustavus Adolphus. A great man named Ox. 
enstiern regulated the affairs of the country 
while she was a child ; and as her father be- 
fore his death had thought of sending a colony 
to America, Oxenstiern sanctioned his plan. 
So they sent a colony out, and they built a fort 
near the town of Wilmington, and called it 
Fort Christina, after the queen." 



88 HISTORY OF 

"When did they build that fort, Uncle 
Philip? for I like to remember the different 
years when these things were done." 

" The year is uncertain, my children. Some 
say it was in the year 1631, but I think that it 
was built after the death of King Gustavus 
Adolphus, and he died in 1632. At any rate, 
the government of Sweden was making efforts 
to settle the South river, and gave employment 
to Peter Minuit. And now we will return to 
the history of New- York. 

"William Kieft was the next governor in 
New-Netherland, and he succeeded Van Twil- 
ler in 1638. He immediately issued a com- 
mand, forbidding the English to trade at Fort 
Good Hope." 

" Where was that fort, sir ?" 

" It was the Dutch fort on Connecticut river, 
and stood where the city of Hartford now 
stands. — The ruins of this fort may still be seen 
on the banks of the river. The English had 
first seated themselves near this place in 1636, 
and in 1638 they settled New-Haven. But 
Governor Kieft's command was not regarded ; 
for in' the year 1640 they took possession of 
some parts of Long Island which were claimed 
by the Dutch." 

" What was done then. Uncle Philip ?" 



NEW-YORK. 89 

" Governor Kieft broke up the settlement^ 
but then he had further troubles ; for some of 
the English from Maryland had begun also to 
settle upon the Schuylkill. Difficulties daily 
became greater, so that in the year 1643 the 
colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Con- 
necticut, and New-Haven, entered into a league 
against the Dutch and Indians ; and it is said 
that they met shortly after with the design of 
killing all the Dutch." 

"Uncle Philip, that was a strong party, I 
suppose." 

" Yes, much stronger than the Dutch. In- 
deed, my children. Governor Kieft had no easy 
time either with the English or the Indians." 

" With the Indians, sir, also ?" 

"Yes. — During the last year that he re- 
mained, he fought a battle with the Indians on 
the borders of Connecticut, at a place called 
Horse Neck. A very desperate battle on both 
sides." 

" Which party conquered. Uncle Philip ?" 

" The Dutch kept the field, and that was all. 
In the morning we will go on with the next 
governor. Good-by." 



90 HISTORY OP 



CONVERSATION VI. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of Peter Stuyvesant, the last 
Dutch Governor of New-Netherland — How he reduces the 
Swedes on the South river — Troubles with the English — 

. King Charles II.'s grant to the Duke of York and Albany — 
Arrival of Colonel NicoUs and Surrender of New-Netherland. 

" Well, Uncle Philip, whom do we talk of 
next ?" 

" Peter Stuyvesant ; for he was governor af- 
ter Kieft. His administration began in 1647, 
and lasted until 1664 ; and he had a troublesome 
time, I can assure you." 

" War with the English, I suppose, sir ?" 

"You will see as I go on. New-England 
on the east, and Maryland on the west, kept 
him constantly alarmed ; and he also had trou 
ble with the Swedes. A Swedish captain ar- 
rived with his ship in the Raritan river, and 
Governor Stuyvesant caused the ship to be 
seized, and the captain to be made a prisoner 
at New- Amsterdam. And I will now tell you 
why he did this. You all know, I suppose, 
where the town of Newcastle stands '" 



NEW-YORK. 91 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; there it is on the Dela- 
ware river." 

"Well; at this place formerly stood Fort 
Casimir. The Dutch had erected this fort, 
but the Swedish governor, Printz, claimed the 
country, and had objected to the building of the 
fortress. Governor Risingh, the successor of 
Printz, under the pretence of friendship, went 
to this fortress with thirty of his men ; and they 
were kindly treated by the commander. But 
as soon as he discovered their weakness, he 
made himself master of the fort, and seized all 
the ammunition, houses, and other things be- 
longing to the West India Company." 

"Well, Uncle Philip, I do not blame Gov- 
ernor Stuyvesant for seizing that vessel then." 

" Nor I, my children ; but this was not all 
that he did. He was determined to retake 
Fort Casimir. He sailed with his forces, 
anchored before the garrison, and then landed 
them. He immediately demanded the fortress 
as Dutch property. The Swedish commander 
then requested leave to consult with Governor 
Risingh. Stuyvesant refused, and so the com- 
mander surrendered. You remember, Fort 
Christina belonged also to the Swedes ?" 
I— H 



92 HISTORY OF 

" Yes, sir." 

"Risingh himself was commander of this 
fort. Stuyvesant went there, and the Swedish 
governor surrendered that fortress also." 

" Stuyvesant was a bold man, Uncle Philip. 
What became of all the Swedes, sir ?" 

" Some of them submitted to the Dutch gov- 
ernment ; but such as refused were sent back 
to Holland, and from thence to Sweden, by 
Governor Stuyvesant. So the governor left 
one of his officers on the South river, with the 
title of lieutenant-governor, and then returned 
to New- Amsterdam." 

" And now tell us, Uncle Philip, of his diffi- 
culties with the English." 

" I have been a little too fast, children. I 
should have told you of the treaty that Gover- 
nor Stuyvesant made at Hartford, in the year 
1650. This treaty w^as made with the English 
about their boundaries. Long Island *was di- 
vided — the eastern part to be held by the Eng- 
lish, the western by the Dutch. ' The Dutch 
were to hold the land on the Connecticut river, 
of which they were then possessed, and the 
remainder, on each side of that river, was to 
belong to the English.' " 

" Well, sir, that appears very fair." 



NEW-YORK. 93 

" Yes ; but it did not terminate their diffi- 
culties. Do you remember any thing of King 
Charles the Second of England ?" 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; you told us something 
about him in your Virginia stories. But, before 
you go on, I wish to ask you one question 
about him." 

" Well ; what is it ?" 

" There is a pictm-e at home with ' Charles 
II. hiding in the Royal Oak' written under it. 
Will you tell me w4iat this means ?" 

" Yes. You will remember that I told you 
how Charles the First was beheaded, and 
Oliver Cromwell made Protector of England ?* 

" Yes, sir." 

" After his death, his son, Charles the Second, 
went to Scotland, raised an army, and returned 
to England to obtain possession of his king- 
dom, and punish the murderers of his father 
He met Cromwell at a place called Worcester 
and Charles's army was defeated there. After 
the battle, the king was pursued so closely by 
his enemies, that he caused some of his friends 
to cut off his hair that he might not be known ; 
and then left them by night, and went to the 
house of a farmer named Penderel. Here he 
disguised himself still farther, by dressing in 



94 HISTORY OF 

some of the farmer's old clothes. He was 
employed for three or four days in cutting fag- 
ots with Penderel and his three brothers. At 
last he became alarmed here ; and one day, for 
better concealment, he hid himself among the 
thick branches of an oak ; and while he was in 
the tree some of Cromwell's men went by in 
search of him; and he heard them say that 
they wished they could find him, for they were 
anxious to deliver him up to his father's mur- 
derers. Afterward, he escaped into France ; 
and when Cromwell died, became king of Eng- 
land." 

" And they did not see him, Uncle Philip "?" 

" No ; and that tree was afterward called the 
royal oak." 

"Thank you, Uncle Philip. Will you go 
on now, sir ?" 

" King Charles the Second was unwilling 
that the Dutch should be settled in the midst 
of his American possessions. So he made a 
grant to his brother, the Duke of York and 
Albany, of all the country in North America 
claimed by the Dutch ; and he gave him other 
land besides this." 

" Uncle Philip, had he a right to make this 
grant ?" 



NEW-YORK. 95 

" He lliouglit he had, I suppose, Uncle 
Philip ?" 

" Yes ; he supposed that he had this right. 
Under this grant, at any rate, a fleet; was de- 
spatched from England, having on board three 
hundred men. Colonel Richard Nicolls, Sir 
George Ca^iteret, and Sk Robert Can% were 
tln-ee of the principal men in the fleet. One 
of the ships arrived before the rest, and an- 
chored before Manhattan. As soon as the 
others arrived. Governor Stuyvesant sent a let- 
ter to the commanders of the English vessels, 
desiring to know for what purpose they had 
come there ; and why they had not given notice 
to the Dutch, as they ought to have done ?" 

" What answer did he get to this letter. 



sir 



?" 



" Colonel Nicolls replied by telling him that 
King Charles's right to the country was un- 
questionable ; and therefore he desired the 
Dutch governor to surrender, but offered him 
rery easy terms ; for he promised, in his ma- 
jesty's name, that every man who would sub- 
mit to the English government should enjoy his 
estate, his life, and his liberty. But he said 
that those who should oppose King Charles's 
wishes must expect the miseries of war. 



96 HISTORY OF 

" Governor Stuyvesant promised an answer 
to Colonel Nicolls on the next morning ; and 
then called his council together. He was 
anxious to conceal from them Nicolls's letter, 
because he thought that the terms of the sur- 
render were so easy that they would be disposed 
to accept them. They however insisted upon 
seeing it." 

" And what did they think of it. Uncle 

Philip r 

" They thought it would be best to surrender, 
but the governor refused. Governor Winthrop, 
of Connecticut, wrote a letter to the governor, 
advising him to surrender. When the council 
met again, they desired to know what message 
Governor Winthrop had sent ? Governor Stuy- 
vesant refused to tell them. They still de- 
manded to know, until at length the governor 
tore the letter in pieces before them." 

"He was angry, I suppose, sir, because 
they were willing to surrender." 

" Yes. He then sent Nicolls an answer, in 
which he explained the way in which the 
Dutch claimed the country ; and, after telling 
him that he was not alarmed by his threats, he 
refused to sm-render. As soon as Colonel 
Nicolls discovered what Governor Stuyvesant's 



NEW-YORK. 97 

determinations were, he ordered Hugh Hide, 
who commanded the squadron, to commence 
reducing the fort." 

"And now, I suppose, the battle began, 
Uncle Philip 'r 

" No. These preparations caused Stuyve- 
sant to write another letter, in which he de- 
clared that he was willing and ready to fight ; 
but, to prevent the spilling of blood, he had 
sent some of his men for the purpose (if pos- 
sible) of making peace. Nicolls answered 
that he would treat about nothing but a sur- 
render." 

" Well, what did the Dutch governor say to 
that, sir ?" 

" On the next day, he agreed to a treaty and 
sm'render upon one condition ; that was, that the 
English and Dutch limits should be settled by the 
Crown of England and the States-General." 

" You mean. Uncle Philip, by the Crown of 
England and the government of Holland. Do 
you not, sir?" 

" Yes. So six Dutch deputies and six Eng- 
lish ones drew up the articles of surrender. 
By these articles, ' the Dutch were to become 
British subjects, to possess their estates without 



98 HISTORY OF 

any trouble, and enjoy their modes of religion 
without any difficulty.' This treaty was signed 
by the twelve deputies, and then by Colonel 
Nicolls ; but Governor Stuyvesant refused to 
put his name to it for two days." 
" But he did sign it, sir ?" 
" Yes, after refusing for two days." 
"And this was the way, Uncle Philip, in 
which the English obtained possession of Man- 
hattan V 

" Yes. The town of New- Amsterdam now 
took the name of New-York, so called after 
the Duke of York. But the Dutch on the 
Hudson and Delaware rivers were now to be 
reduced. Sir George Carteret went up the 
Hudson and reduced Fort Orange, and called 
it Albany." 

" After the duke, also, I suppose, Uncle 
Philip?" 

" Right, my children." 
" And who went to the Delaware, sir ?" 
" Sir Robert Carr. He was equally suc- 
cessful there, for he compelled the Dutch and 
Swedes to deliver up all their garrisons on t^hat 
river. Do you remember what I told you 
about the extent of New-Netherland ?" 



NEW-YORK. 99 

".Yes, sir; you said it extended from Dela- 
ware to Cape Cod." 

" Well ; New-Netherland was now divided, 
and part of it was called New- Jersey, after the 
Isle of Jersey, because Sir George Carteret's 
family came from that island." 

" And so the English took the country, di- 
vided it, and changed its name, Uncle Philip ?" 

"Yes." 

"And what became, sir, of the old Dutch 
governor ?" 

" He remained in the country. He held his 
estate until his death, and his^ body was buried 
in a chapel which he had built upon his own 
farm, not far from the city. That chapel, chil- 
dren, is now called St. Mark's church, in the 
city of New-York. — The country-seat of the old 
governor has now become a part of the city. 
When you go through the city, you can see a 
tablet erected to his memory in the east v/all 
of the church." 

" Then you have seen it. Uncle Philip?" 

" Oh, yes ; and I recollect what is written on 
the tablet. — This is what is written, — * In this 
vault lies buried Peter Stuyvesant, late Captain- 
General and Governor-in-chief of A7nsterdam 
in New-Netherland^ now called New-Yorky 



100 HISTORY OF 

and the Dutch West Indian Islands. Died 
August, A.D. 1682, aged 80 years' 

" Well, Uncle Philip, I am sorry that he had 
to surrender New-Amsterdam, for I think he 
was a brave man. Will you go on, sir, if you 
please, and tell us now about these English- 
men?" 

" Not now. We will talk more at another 



NEW-YORK. 101 



CONVERSATION VII. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of Governor Nicolls and Gov- 
ernor Lovelace — Then talks of Anthony Colve, who was 
Governor for a short time — Tells of Sir Edrnund Andros, ^nd 
the manner in which he punished a man named John Man- 
ning — After him of Governor Dongan— Also talks of Lord de 
la Barre, and Marquis de Nonville, the French Governor in 
Canada. 

*" Colonel Richard Nicolls now took upon 
himself the government of New-York, calUng 
himself the Deputy-Governor of the Duke of 
York." 

" And what did he do for the country, sir ?" 
" Not much, for he was governor only for a 
short time. His time was much occupied in 
confirming the old Dutch patents, and in settling 
the boundaries between New-York and Con- 
necticut." 

" How long was he governor. Uncle Philip ?" 

" Three years only. He then returned to 

England, and Colonel Francis Lovelace was 

appointed by the Duke of York to succeed him. 

He arrived in the country in the year 1667." 

" Tell us something of him, then, sir " 



102 HISTORY OF 

"He governed the country p-eaceably until 
the year 1673." 

" For six years, Uncle Philip ; and what was 
the matter then ?" 

" The English and Dutch were then at war, 
and a small squadron of Dutch ships set sail 
for Manhattan. When they anived at Staten 
Island, a man named John Manning, who com- 
manded the fort at New-York, sent a messen- 
ger down to the squadron, and treacherously 
made peace w^ith the enemy. 

" So the Dutch ships on the same day caifte 
up, moored under the fort, put their men on 
shore, and they took possession of the fortress 
without giving or receiving a shot. A council 
of war was then called together, and the Dutch 
chose a man named Anthony Colve to be gov- 
ernor." 

" So the Dutch had possession of their city 
once more?" 

" Yes, but not long. For early in the next 
year a treaty of peace was concluded between 
England and Holland, and by this treaty New- 
Netherland was again restored to the English. 
At the close of this w^ar the Duke of York was 
afraid that his right to his American property 
might be disputed ; so he obtained a new patent 



NEW- YORK. 103 

from the king for all the lands he had granted 
him ten years before, and two days after this, 
sent out Edmund Andros to be governor of his 
American territory." 

" You mean his American possessions ; do 
you not, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Yes. One of the first things that Sir Ed- 
mund Andros did was to call a comt-martial 
to try John Manning for cowardice and treacher- 
ous conduct." 

"Uncle Philip, what do you mean by a 
jourt-martial ?" 

"I mean a court appointed for punishing 
)ffences in officers, soldiers, and sailors." 

" And what was done with Manning, sir ?" 

" Six accusations were brought forward 
igainst him ; the amount of all which was that 
16 had entered into a treaty with the Dutch, 
md ordered the fort gates to be opened, and 
illowed the enemy to enter without any oppo- 
sition, when his men were willing and anxious 
1,0 fight. Manning confessed that the accusa 
/ions were true. Since his treachery, however, 
he had been to England, and seen the king 
and the duke ; so, although he deserved death, 
his life was spared. But he was condemned 
to have his sword broken over his head, n pub- 



104 histohy of 

lie, before the City Hall, and rendered incapable 
of ever wearing a sword again, or of serving 
his majesty in any public office whatever." 

" He had better have been dead. Uncle 
Philip, than to have been so publicly disgraced V 

" Yes, my lad. Death is preferable to de- 
served disgrace ; and I had rather follow any 
creature whom I love to the grave, than to 
know that he committed a base action. Whether 
that action was known to the world or not, if it 
was base, it was disgraceful ; and I had rather 
see my friend dead than infamous. Let me tell 
you a short story. When I was last in New- 
York, I heard it, and saw the boy also who was 
concerned in it." 

"About a boy, there, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Yes. His name is William Giles. He 
was six years old, and his father sent him to 
school ; but William was not fond of going. 
His mother talked to him, and endeavoured to 
make him fond of learning ; so he continued to go 
to school, thougji he continued also to dislike it. 
William's companions found out that the school- 
room was a very unpleasant place to him, for 
it was disagreeable to some of them also. One 
day one of them asked him why he was so 
foohsh as to go to school if he did not like it ^ 



i 



NEW-YORK. 105 

William said that his parents desired it, and 
sent him there. 

" * Why do you not go somewhere else, and 
play until school is over ; and then go home, 
and if your father asks you if you have been 
to school, you can say yes, and he will know 
no better!' 

" ' Tell him' a falsehood !' said Wilham. 

" ' He will not know it is a falsehood,' said 
the other. 

" ' But God will know it, and I myself shall 
know it,' said William Giles ; ' and I would rather 
that all the world should tlmik me mean, than 
that I should know myself to be so.' Then he 
left the company of that deceitful boy, and 
continued to follow his parents' advice ; and 
now he is very fond of his books, and learns 
very rapidly. Do you not think that he is a 
noble boy ?" 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; I wish he was here." 

" And so do I. When I heard the story, I 
went to see that little boy, and had a long con- 
versation with him, and I like him very much." 

" Tell us of some other thing. Uncle Philip, 
which Sir Edmund Andros did." 

" He made efforts to acquire the country on 
Connecticut river." 



106 HISTORY OF 

" And did he succeed, sir ?" 

" No ; for the Connecticut colony resisted 
him too strongly. But I will tell you what he 
did succeed in doing. You see Pemaquid on 
the map ?" 

" Yes ; there it is, Uncle Philip, on the coast 
of Maine." 

"Well, Sir Edmund, in 1677, sent a sloop 
with some forces on board to the province of 
Maine, to take possession of the lands which 
had been granted to the Duke of York." 

" Did he own lands there also, sir ?" 

" Yes. These men landed, and during the 
next year, built a fort at that point." 

" Was this governor a favourite, Uncle 
Philip ?" 

" No, my children ; he was not liked much. 
Towards the close of his administration, he dis- 
puted with a man named Philip Carteret, who 
governed Jersey." 

"The same man who named New-Jersey, 



sir 



?» 



" No ; but he held a commission from Sir 
George Carteret. You are thinking of him. 
Andros disputed the right of this governor; so 
he was seized and brought a prisoner to New- 
York." 



NEW-YORK. 107 

"And what was done with the prisoner, 
sir ?" 

" I do not know. But shortly after this, Sir 
Edmund Andros was sent to Boston to be 
governor there ; and Colonel Thomas Dongan 
was then sent by the Duke of York to be gov- 
ernor in his place. He came to the country 
in 1683." 

" He was the man who was at the peace of 
Albany with Lord How^ard ?" 

"The same man. When he came to the 
country, he landed first on Long Island, and 
finding that the people were dissatisfied, he at 
once determined to set matters right." 

" Why were they dissatisfied, sir ?" 

" All the governors before him had made 
laws, and held their comls without consulting 
the people. So he promised them that in 
future no laws should be made or enforced but 
by a general assembly ; and he gave orders 
that the members of the assembly should be 
immediately elected, that they niight meet 
him." 

" And then they were pleased, I suppose, 
sir?" 

"Yes; and they sent their thanks to the 
Duke of York, for sending Thomas Dongan to 
L— I 



108 HISTORY OF 

be their governor. But, before we go on, 1 
must tell you something more about the French 
who were in Canada. It was while Governor 
Dongan was at the peace of Albany that a 
messenger arrived there from Lord de la Barre, 
the governor of Canada, complaining to him of 
the Seneca Indians. You will remember that 
the Seneca tribe was one of the Five Nations ; 
and you know the Five Nations were friends 
to the English in New-York." 

"Yes, sir : but what had the Seneca Indians 
been doing, Uncle Philip ?" 

" The complaint was, that they had inter- 
rupted the French in their trade with some 
other Indian tribes. Governor Dongan, to 
whom the message was sent, talked with the 
Senecas about it, and they at once admitted the 
charge, but said that they had done this thing 
because the French had sent arms and ammu- 
nition to the Miami Indians while they were at 
war with them. 

"But Lord de la Barre was not satisfied 
with this. He determined, if possible, to de- 
stroy the Five Nations. So he marched with an 
army of 1700 men to Lake Ontario. He 
issued his orders to all the commanders of the 
French forts through the country to meet at 



NEW- YORK. 109 

Niagara, with all the Indians they could engage 
to assist them. Governor Dongan informed 
the Five Nations of the plan of the French, and 
promised co aid them in their opposition. But 
they did not need his assistance, for after all 
his preparation there was no fighting. De la 
Barre was delayed six weeks at Fort Frontenac 
(a fortress on Lake Ontario), and during this 
time, owing to bad provisions, sickness broke 
out among the French. So he thought it best 
to conclude with a treaty. For this purpose he 
invited the chiefs of the five tribes to meet him. 
Dongan advised them not to meet him. The 
Mohawks and Senecas did refuse, but the chiefs 
of the other three tribes consented to the pro- 
posal of the French governor, and went to see 
him." 

" And what was done then, sir ?" 
" Lord de la Barre then spoke to the Onon- 
daga chief, named Garangula. He told him 
that the Five Nations of Indians had broken 
the peace ; but that his master, the French 
king, had ordered him to invite their sachems 
to his camp : that he wished to smoke the 
♦calumet of peace with them : but that he could 
do it on but one condition. This condition was, 
that they should give satisfaction to the French 



110 HISTORY OF 

subjects for all injuries that they had done to 
them, and promise in future never to trouble 
them." 

" Uncle Philip, will you alloAv me to inter- 
rupt you for a moment ?" 

"Yes, my lad." 

" Will you tell me, sir, what you mean by 
smoking the calumet of peace ?" 

" Yes. It refers to an old Indian custom. — 
"Whenever they incline to peace, a messenger 
is sent to the enemy with a pipe, the bowl ot 
which is made of soft red marble ; and the stem 
is made of a long reed, handsomely painted, and 
ornamented with the gay feathers of birds. 
This is always a protection to the messenger 
from any attack on the way. He then makes 
his proposals to the enemy, and if they are dis- 
posed to accept the terms, the peace is con- 
cluded by smoking through this pipe. This is 
called smoking the calumet." 

" It means, then, that peace is made between 
two parties. Tell me now. Uncle Philip, what 
the Indian said to the French governor ?" 

" Garangula said that the Great Spirit had 
saved the French by causing sickness among 
them ; for that if the war had gone on, they 
would all have been murdered. He declared 



NEW-YORK. Ill 

that the Indians had pkmdered none of the 
French except those who gave arms to their 
enemies ; and ended by saying that he wished 
to be friendly to the French, and that the 
hatchet should be buried, and never dug up by 
him or his countrymen, until the French should 
attack their country," 

" Uncle Philip, this was a bold answer." 
"Yes, and it provoked Lord de la Barre 
very much. However, the peace was con- 
cluded, and the French governor retired to 
Montreal. Shortly after this. Lord de la Barre 
was succeeded in the government of Canada by 
a man named De Non\ille." 

" Did he carry on this war. Uncle Philip ?" 
" Indeed he did. He was a man of great 
courage and enterprise ; and, besides this, he 
thought that he had been sent to the country to 
repair the disgrace which had fallen upon it 
while De la Barre was governor. Soon after 
he came, therefore, he marched with two thou- 
sand French and six hundred Indians against 
the Senecas. 

" When he arrived within a mile of the chief 
village of the Senecas, the Indians, who lay in 
ambush, suddenly raised the war-whoop. Their 
firearms were then discharged, and this threw 



112 HISTORY OF 

the FreiTch into great confusion . They divided, 
fired upon one another, and ran into the woods, 
so that the Senecas made great destruction. 
At length, the French Indians raUied and re- 
pulsed them. You may judge better of this 
action when I tell you that on one side, one 
hundred Frenchmen and ten French Indians 
were killed ; and on the other eighty Senecas 
lost their lives." 

" A hard struggle, I suppose. Uncle Philip, 
One hundred and ninety lives lost in all." 

" And De Nonville was so dispirited by this 
battle, that he could not be persuaded to pur- 
sue the enemy that day : so this gave the 
Senecas an opportunity to burn their village 
and get off." 

" And they burned their town, sir ?" 

" Yes ; and the next day, when the French 
governor marched forward, he found it in ashes. 
Only two old men remained in the castle ; and 
when the French were disappointed in this 
matter, they destroyed all the corn in the fields, 
and then retired. But not long after this, the 
Five Nations committed a horrible massacre 
among the French at Montreal." 

" Tell us all about it, Uncle Philip, if you 
please." 



NEW-YORK. 113 

'' It IS said that peace was made between the 
French and the Five Nations, not long after 
the burning of the corn-fields belonging to the 
Senecas. I cannot say whether this was true 
or false ; but I am now about to tell you what 
produced that murder at Montreal. 

" There was a tribe of Indians called the 
Dinondadiesy which had been friendly to the 
French, but had begun to trade with the Eng- 
lish at a place called Missilimakinac. The 
French began to suspect the friendship of this 
tribe. Their chief was a cunning man, named 
Adario ; and he determined to make an effort 
to obtain the confidence which had once been 
reposed in his countrymen. And now I will 
tell you what he did. 

" The Dinondadies were at war with the 
Five Nations (the Confederates, as they were 
sometimes called), and Adario knew that the 
French also had a very great dislike to them ; 
so he thought that he would perform some 
notable action against the Five Nations, and in 
this way acquire the friendship of the French. 
Do you understand ?" 

" Oh yes, sir." 

" He had also another reason for his conduct. 
He knew that when peace w^as made between 



114 HISTORY OF 

the French and the Confederates, that the 
French would then have time to punish him 
and his tribe. So he placed himself at the 
head of one hundred men, and intercepted the 
ambassadors of the Five Nations, vi^ho were 
travelling near him; killed some, and took 
others prisoners ; telling them that the French 
governor, had informed him that fifty warriors 
of the Five Nations were coming that way. 
The ambassadors were astonished at what they 
supposed the baseness and perfidy of the 
French governor ; and then told the object of 
their journey. The crafty Adario then pre- 
tended to feel the greatest distress, anger, and 
shame, ' because,' he said, ' he had been made 
the base tool of De Nonville's treachery.' " 

" And what he said to the ambassadors was 
all false ?" 

"Every word of it. Then he addressed 
himself to the principal ambassador, named 
Dekanesora, and said to him, ' Go, my brethren ; 
I untie your bonds, and send you home again, 
though our nations be at war. The French 
governor has made me commit so black an ac- 
tion, that I shall never be easy after it till the 
Five Nations shall have taken full revenge.* 
This outrage upon the ambassadors gave the 



NEW-YORK. 115 

Confederates a great thirst for revenge ; for 
tliey supposed that whatever Adario had told 
them was true. This is all plain, I hope ?" 

"Yes, Uncle Philip. This conduct of 
Adario shows us the cause of the massacre, of 
which you spoke." 

"Exactly. So on the 26th of July, 1688, 
1200 of the Confederates landed at Montreal, 
while the French were in perfect security ; — 
burned their houses, destroyed their plantations, 
and put to the sword all the men, women, and 
children whom they found. Nearly a thousand 
of the French were murdered on this invasion, 
and twenty-six carried into captivity, and burned 
alive." 

" That was dreadful, Uncle Philip." 

" It was, indeed, my children. Never before 
this time had Canada sustained such a blow. 
When the news of this Montreal massacre 
reached the French fort on Lake Ontario, the 
men there set fire to the two barks which they 
had built, and abandoned the garrison. So the 
Confederates seized this fort also. The troub- 
les of the French continued to increase ; for 
scouts from the Five Nations constantly infested 
their borders, and prevented the cultivation of 



116 HISTORY OF 

their fields ; so that they also felt the horrors 
of famine. 

" These troubles, however, served to make 
friends for the English ; for seven or eight of the 
Indian tribes, which had been friendly before 
this to the French, in the midst of the distress 
entered into terms of peace with the English. 
In fact, my children, nothing but the ignorance 
of the Indians in attacking fortified places 
saved Canada from being utterly reduced." 



NEW-YORK. 117 



CONVERSATION VIII. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of Lieutenant-governor Nichol- 
son — How he was forced to leave the Colony, when a man 
named Leisler became Governor — Tells the manner in which 
Indians assist their memories in making Treaties — Talks of 
the War between the English Colony and the French undei 
the Governor of Canada, Count Frontenac — Massacre at 
Schenectady. 

*' 'f HE Duke of York, of whom we have been 
talking, afterward became the King of Eng- 
land. Do you know what his name was ?" 

" No, Uncle Philip." 

" He came to the throne as James II. of 
England, and then refused to confirm the privi- 
leges gi'anted to New- York while he was 
duke. Indeed, he went so far as to prohibit 
the meeting of the assembly." 

" Uncle Philip, that was like him ; for if I 
remember correctly, you told us in our conver- 
sations about Virginia, that this James was the 
man whom the people in England refused to 
have for their king, when they invited William, 
the Prince of Orange, to reign over them ?" 

" Yes, James II. was the man. Of course 



118 HISTORY OF 

when he destroyed the privileges of the people 
in New- York, they were dissatisfied, and re- 
solved upon resistance. M'lny other things 
besides this served to create a dislike to King 
.lames. One was, that he appointed some 
officers in the colony who were disagreeable 
to the colonists." 

" Well, Uncle Philip, I am glad to hear thai 
they resisted." 

" Although many men in New- York were dis- 
pleased, no man dared to resist until an example 
was placed before them." • 

" You mean. Uncle Philip, until some one set 
an example elsewhere ?" 

" True : that is my meaning, and that ex- 
ample was given by some of the people in 
Massachusetts. You know Edmund Andros 
had been sent as governor to Boston ?" 

"Yes, sir." 

" Sir Edmund was very much devoted to 
King James, and had been so cruel in his 
tyranny over the people in New-England, that 
almost every man there despised him. So they 
seized and imprisoned him, and afterward sent 
him home to England. So soon as the citizens 
of New-York heard tnis, several of them met 
together to talk about having V/illiam, Prince 



NEW- YORK. n9 

of Orange, for the king of England. Among 
these men was one named Jacob Leisler, who 
was most resolute and determined." 

" Tell us something about him, Uncle 
Philip." 

" That is what I am just about to do. He 
was a man tolerably well liked by the people 
though he had not much ability. He was also 
a man who owned some property in the 
colony. 

" The first thing to be done was to seize the 
garrison in New-York. This garrison was 
guarded every night by the militia, but Leisler 
succeeded in entering it with forty-nine men." 

" Where was Governor Dongan, sir ?" 

"He had just resigned the government to 
Francis Nicholson, the lieutenant-governor, and 
was then on board a vessel which was in the 
bay about to leave the province. Even after 
Leisler took possession of the fort, he had many 
enemies ; for some of the people said that a 
man of such low origin was not the proper per- 
son to govern the colony. So when he first 
drew up a paper in favour of the Prince of 
Orange, it was signed by very few. 

" The people were very much distm-bed, not 
knowing what to do ; for Leisler was entreat- 



120 HISTORY OF 

ing them to join him on one side, while the 
lieutenant-governor was threatening them on 
the other. The town was at length alarmed 
by a report that three ships were coming up 
with orde/s from the Prince of Orange." 

" Then they were frightened, I know, Uncle 
Philip." 

"Yes, but the report was false. However, 
it aided Leisler very much in his plans ; for on 
the same day, six captains and four hundred 
men in New- York, and a company of seventy 
men from East Chester, all placed their names 
to the second declaration in favour of the Prince 
of Orange, and agreed to hold the fort for King 
William III. Colonel Dongan was still in the 
harbour waiting to see how this dispute would 
end ; but when so many men signed the second 
paper, he immediately sailed." 

" And what, sir, did the lieutenant-governor 
do?" 

" He was no longer able to contend against 
Leisler, for his party was totally scattered ; and 
he himself made his escape the night after the 
last declaration was signed." 

" Uncle Philip, Jacob Leisler made himself 
master of New- York very easily ?" 

" Yes : soon after this the prince and his 



NEW-YORK. 121 

wife Mary (the daughter, you know, of King 
James II.) were made King and Queen of 
England. Then Leisler sent a letter to King 
William, informing 'him of the state of the 
garrison in New- York, and telling him also 
how much the people liked the new king.' 
He concluded by promising the king that he 
would be sincere and faithful to him. This 
letter was sent by a man named Joshua Stoll." 

" What was the king's answer, sir ?" 

" He sent him nothing more than thanks for 
his conduct ; and I will tell you how this hap- 
pened. Nicholson, the lieutenant-governor, and 
an Episcopal clergyman named Innis, arrived 
in England before Stoll. So they told King 
William their story, and said that Leisler and 
his men did not have much zeal for the Prince 
of Orange." 

" And so Stoll got no reward, and only car- 
ried thanks back to Leisler ?" 

" Worse than this ; for the king thought so 
little of the complaints against Nicholson, that 
he soon after sent him out as governor to Vir- 
ginia. You remember his name, I suppose." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip, and I have been wish- 
ing to ask if he was the same man." 

" He was. Some of the citizens in New- 



122 HISTORY OF 

York still disapproved of Leisler's measures, 
and retired to Albany. These determined to 
hold the garrison there for King William, in- 
dependently of Jacob Leisler. About this time 
a letter arrived from England for * Governor 
Nicholson, or, in his absence, to such as take 
care of their majesties* province of New- York 
in North America.^ " 

" The person who viTOte that letter in Eng- 
land, I suppose, had not heard of the difficul- 
ties, and did not know that Nicholson was not 
in New-York?" 

" True ; but Leisler took the liberty of 
opening this letter, because, he said, he was 
the man who was taking care of the province. 
This provoked the people in Albany still more, 
and they resolved not to submit to Leisler. 

" Then a man known by the name of Jacob 
Milborne (who was the son-in-law of Leisler) 
was sent to Albany to reduce the fort there. 
Upon his arrival a great number of the inhabi- 
tants armed themselves, and went to the fort 
where Mr. Schuyler commanded. Several 
others, however, went to the City Hall to talk 
with Milborne." 

" And what did he have to say then, sir ?" 

" He talked very boldly against King Jamea^ 



NEW-YORK. 123 

and about his cruelty; and spoke of the new- 
king in very high terms. But he did not suc- 
ceed in satisfying the people. He then went 
with a few men to the fort, and nearly lost his 
life there. Mr. Schuyler had great difficulty 
in preventing his own men and the Mohawk 
Indians (who were his friends) from firing upon 
Milborne and his party. So, after this, he 
thought it best to retreat." 

" Then Milborne gained nothing, sir, by this 
visit to Albany ?" 

"Nothing, Shortly after this disappoint- 
ment, however, he went there a second time 
upon the same business. This time he suc- 
ceeded in getting possession of the fort ; for 
the English were in great distress on account 
of an Indian invasion that had just happened. 
So soon, then, as Milborne arrived, many of the 
people ran away, and left the town and the fort ; 
and their property was confiscated." 

" Uncle Philip, I do not know what the word 
' confiscated' means." 

" When a man is guilty of a crime, in some 
countries, the law takes from him all his prop- 
erty, and it then belongs to the coimtry or gov- 
ernment ; that is, it is no longer the man's prop- 

I.-K 



124 HISTORY OF 

erty, but belongs to the public treasury. This 
is called confiscation of property." 

"" I understand you, Uncle Philip : but I 
hardly think that those men who resisted 
Leisler could be called criminals ; for he was 
not appointed a governor, but made himself 
one." 

" True ; and I do not think myself that Mil 
borne had any right to seize their property, but 
he did do it. And now I will tell you a story, 
which will show you the good sense and pru- 
dence which are sometimes seen in Indian 
actions. It is a story which occurred to me 
yesterday, but then I thought it best not to tell 
it until to-day; for it is connected with our 
story this morning." 

" What is it ? What is it, Uncle Philip ?" 

"While all these disturbances were going 
on in New-York, the people in New-England 
were engaged in a war with a tribe of Indians 
called Owenagungas. These Indians were 
friendly to the Mohawks, and many of them 
found protection in their country. As the 
Mohawks were a tribe of the Five Nations, 
commissioners from Boston, Plymouth, and 
Connecticut, were sent to Albany for the pur- 



NEW-YORK. 125 

pose of persuading the Five Nations to assist 
them in reducing the Oioenagungas. 

" The commissioners delivered their message 
to Tahajadorisj a Mohawk sachem, and he 
promised an answer on the next day. In the 
morning, when he met them again, he made a 
long oration, and repeated word for word all 
that they had told him in their message on the 
day before. They were very much surprised 
to hear him repeating their own words so ex- 
actly, for they thought it was very strange that 
he should remember so well." 

" It was strange. Uncle Philip, that he should 
have kept their very words in his memory. I 
do not understand it." 

" Then I will explain it to you. Indians 
have a peculiar way of assisting their memories 
When they meet to transact business, the 
sachem who presides has a bundle of sticks 
placed beside him. At the close of every prin- 
cipal article of the message delivered to them, 
the chief sachem gives a stick to one of the 
other sachems, charging him with the remem- 
brance of that part. After the whole message 
is delivered, the sachems then retire ; and the 
chief, by talking with them, is able to repeat 
«very part of it, and then make his reply. 



126 HISTORY OF 

This is always the custom in their pubHc 
treaties." 

" Then, Uncle Philip, the commissioners 
must have seen Tahajadoris giving the sticks 
to the other sachems while they were talking ?" 

" Yes ; but they did not know the meaning 
of it. You will bear in mind that this thing 
happened in 1689, shortly after Milborne took 
possession of Albany." 

" But tell us, sir, if you please, whether the 
Indians agreed to this proposal of the NeW- 
Englanders ?" 

" No ; they refused to fight against the 
Owenagungas ; but to satisfy the commission- 
ers, they said that they were willing to aid in 
disturbing the French, against whom the Eng- 
lish had declared war four months before. 

" That part of the sachem's speech confirm- 
mg their friendship with the English colonies 
is very beautiful." 

" Can you repeat some part of it for us, 
Uncle Philip?" 

" No, my lad ; but I will read it to you ; and 
I wish you to notice the figurative style in 
which Indians talk. Give me that large quarto 
volume with a white back, James." 

" Is this the one, Uncle Philip '^ I do not 



NEW-YORK. 121 

know what you mean when you say quarto 
volume." 

" That is the book. Bring it here ; and re- 
member that a book is called quarto, when 
every sheet in that book is folded and cut so as 
to make /owr leaves. Quarto is a Latin word, 
and means in four. Here is the passage 
which we look for. Listen to what the Indian 
said : — 

" ' We promise to preserve the chain invio- 
lably ; and vnsh that the sun may always shine 
in peace over all our heads that are compre- 
hended in this chain. We give two belts ; one 
for the sun, and the other for its beams. We 
make fast the roots of the tree of peace and 
tranquillity tvhich is planted, in this place. Its 
roots extend as far as the utmost of your colo- 
nies. If the French should come to shake this 
tree, we ivouldfeel it by the motion of its roots, 
which extend into our country. But ive trust 
it will 7iot be in the governor of CanadcHs 
power to shake this tree, which has been so 
firmly and long planted with us J " 

''Uncle Philip, I should suppose that this 
war with the French was very injurious to the 
English." 

"Why so?" 



128 UISTOIIY OF 

" Because they had trouble enough among 
themselves, in supporting King William, with- 
out any other difficulties.*' 

" That is true, and now we will talk more of 
this French war. The French court despatched 
a fleet to Canada, commanded by a man named 
Caffiniere. A supply of land forces were on 
board this fleet, and they were under the special 
direction of Count de Frontenac. 

" The count was in high spirits on the jour- 
ney ; but when he reached Quebec, and heard 
of the success of the Five Nations against 
Montreal, and particularly of the loss of the fort 
on Lake Ontario, he was discouraged. Did I 
tell you that the fort there was called Fronte- 
nac ?" 

"No, sir; but how did it happen that the 
fort took the name of a man who was never 
before in the country ?" 

" He had been in the country before, in the 
year 1672, as governor of Canada; and it was 
at that time that he built this fort. He had 
been recalled ten years after ; and now upon his 
return, in 1689, he heard this sad news. De 
Nonville was now called home, and he carried 
the news to France. 

" The count, in order to raise the drooping 



NEW- YORK. 129 

spirits of llic Canadians, and to make enmity 
between the English and the Five Nations, de- 
termined to send out several parties against the 
English colonies. One of these parties, consist 
ing of two hundred Frenchmen and some Cagh 
nuaga Indians, started for the town of Schenec- 
tady. The people in this town had heard of 
their designs, but still they were in the greatest 
security ; for it w^as in the depth of winter, and 
they supposed it impossible for any men to 
march so far through deep snows. But they 
were mistaken in their calculation. After 
twenty-two days march, the French fell in with 
Schenectady; but they were reduced so low 
that they had thought of surrendering them- 
selves prisoners of war. But their scouts, who 
Lad gone before them, and were a day or two 
in the village unsuspected, returned with fa- 
vom^able accounts. They told the French that 
the people in the village did not expect them, 
and were of course unprepared to resist their 
attack. 

" So they entered on Saturday night about 
midnight at the gates, which were found open, 
and divided into small parties of six or seven men, 
that they might attack every house at the same 
moment. The inhabitants, my children, were 



130 HISTORY OF 

all in a profound sleep, and not alarmed until 
their houses were broken open. Before they 
had risen from their beds, the enemy had en- 
tered and commenced their cruelty." 

" Uncle Phihp, that was awful. These sto- 
ries about the Indians and French are very 
bloody." 

" Yes ; but it shows you one thing, that great 
hardships were encountered in the first settle- 
ment of om* country ; and when we talk of the 
American revolution, you will perceive that 
great struggles purchased the liberty of our 
country : so that we should all remember al- 
ways these hardships and struggles ; and the best 
way of showing that we do this is to obey the 
laws and make ourselves good citizens. In this 
way we may assist in preserving the country." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; my father has often told 
me to obey the laws of God and the laws of my 
country. But suppose, sir, that God's laws 
differed from my country's laws, which must I 
then obey?" 

"God's laws, my child, are superior to all 
others, and must therefore be first obeyed. 
But no good government will ever make laws 
in opposition to the laws of God. Is this plain 
to you ? 



NEW- YORK. 131 

" Oh yes, sir." 

" Then we will go on. The whole village 
of Schenectady was almost instantly in a 
blaze. Sixty persons were murdered, and 
twenty-seven carried into captivity. The rest 
of the inhabitants fled naked towards Albany, 
through the snow. ' Twenty-five of these poor 
fugitives lost their limbs in the flight, from the 
severity of the frost.' " 

" How far was the place from Albany, Uncle 
PhiHp ?" 

" About seventeen miles. The news reached 
Albany about daybreak, and they were all very 
much frightened there ; for they heard that the 
enemy numbered fourteen hundred men. The 
French continued to pillage the tov/n of Sche- 
nectady until the middle of the next day, and 
then went off v^ith their plunder. But although 
they appear cruel, and really were so, I can teE 
you one act of theirs which looked like kind- 
ness." 

" Tell it, Uncle Philip, if you please." 

" There was a man living in Schenectady at 
this time, called Captain Glen. His wife had 
been very kind to some French captains Avhile 
Colonel Dongan was governor. When he re- 
minded tlie French of the former kindness of his 



132 HISTORY OF 

wife to those prisoners, the officers gave strict 
orders that neither Glen nor any of his family- 
should be injured. Several old men, women, 
and their children, were also released at his 
request." 

" Uncle Philip, what was done in Albany ?" 

" The inhabitants were all preparing to 
abandon the country ; but several friendly 
sachems came to see them, urged them to re- 
main, and promised to aid the colony in repel- 
ling the French. 

" I must tell you of anotJier circumstance 
which occurred this year. I mean the expedi- 
tion of a man named Sir William Pliips against 
Quebec. He sailed up the river, and came be- 
fore the town. But while he was employed 
three days in making his arrangements for the 
attack, the French governor had an opportunity 
of bringing his forces together. So when Sir 
William sent his messenger to demand the sur- 
render of the fort, he ordered him to demand 
also a written answer from Count de Frontenac. 
But this was the count's reply : — 

" ' I'll answer your master by the mouth of 
my cannon, that he may learn that a man of 
my condition is not to be summoned in this 
manner.' 



NEW-YORK. 133 

" Upon this, Sir William made his attempts 
to land below the town ; but was repulsed by 
the enemy, with considerable loss of men and 
baggage. Several of his ships, also, cannon- 
aded the city without any success. The fort, at 
the same time, returned the fire, and obliged 
them to retire in disorder." 



134 HISTORY OF 



CONVERSATION IX. 

Uncle Philip talks to the Children about Governor Sloughter — 
Tells of the Trial and Execution of Leisler and Milbome — 
Talks of Richard Ingolsby, who was President for a short 
time — Talks about Governor Fletcher — Tells the Children 
something about General Schuyler, who was very much be- 
loved by the Indians — Count Frontenac attacks the Mohawks 
— Driven back by Schuyler — Sufferings of the Armies. 

" Good morning, my children ; sit down, and 
I will go on with our story. In the midst of 
all the troubles of which we were speaking 
yesterday, a new governor arri^^ed in New- 
York." 

" Ah, who was he. Uncle Philip ?" 

" Colonel Henry Sloughter w^as the man. 
He arrived in the country in the year 1691." 

"Uncle Philip, it is to be hoped that he 
made matters move on better." 

" Upon his arrival, Jacob Leisler refused to 
surrender the fort, but shut himself up in it 
with two men. Bayard and Nichols, whom he 
had before this imprisoned, because they were 
opposed to his government. The fort was de~ 



NEW-YORK. 135 

manded a second time ; and the messenger 
who was sent told Leisler (what he knew well 
enough before) that Colonel Henry Sloughter 
had been appointed governor of New-York. 

"Then Milborne came oiu from the fort 
under the pretence of treating with Governor 
Sloughter ; but the truth was, children, that he 
was anxious to discover the gw^enior's designs." 

" I hope, sir, he did not succeed in his base 
plan ?" 

"Oh no. Sloughter looked upon him as 
nothing more than a rebel, and threw him into 
prison. As soon as this was done, Leisler 
abandoned the fort; so the governor entered, 
and took possession of this also." 

" And did Leisler escape, sir ? And what 
became of Bayard and Nichols?" 

" Leisler was made prisoner, and confined 
until his trial should come on ; the other two 
men were released." 

" Uncle Philip, did Leisler offer no apology 
for his misconduct ?" 

" Yes ; but he did not call it misconduct ; 
for he said that he had been actuated by nothing 
but zeal and affection for King William in all 
that he had done. He said, also, that the let- 
ter which, you will remember, had been sent to 



136 HISTORY OF 

Lieutenant-governor Nicholson, but which he 
himself opened, had given him full power to 
act as governor." 

" Let us hear something of his ti'ial, if you 
please, Uncle Philip ; for I do not think either 
his conduct or his excuse good." 

" His trial was very short ; for, when he 
was brought before his judges, they refused to 
give their opinions, but referred the whole mat- 
ter to the governor and his council." 

" And what did they say, sir V 

" Precisely what you now say, that Leisler 
was wrong; and so they pronounced him guilty 
of high treason, and condemned him to death. 
Did I tell you the day of the month on which 
Colonel Sloughter arrived in New- York "?" 

" No, sir." 

"He arrived on the 19th day of March, and 
on the 20th gave orders for calling together the 
assembly." 

" He was very quick about it, Uncle Philip." 

" Yes ; and I mentioned these dates on pur- 
pose that you might notice his promptness in 
acting for the people. This assembly met on 
the 9th of April, elected a man by the name 
of James Graham their speaker, and commenced 
business." 



NEW- YORK. 137 

" Uncle Philip, will you tell me what you 
mean when you say speaker ?" 

" I will try to explain it. How many of you 
are here — let me see — eighteen, are there not ?" 

" Yes, sir, just eighteen." 

" Well, suppose a part of you (say, fifteen 
of you) were anxious that I should stop talking 
now and go to walk, and these fifteen should 
ask me to do so ; but the other three were re- 
questing that I should not do so : do you un- 
derstand me ?" 

" Oh yes. Uncle Philip ; and I wish to know 
what you would do in this case ?" 

" Then suppose I should say to you, all 
those who wish to go to walk will say yes^ 

" Then fifteen of us would say 7jes, sir." 

" Then suppose I say, those who do not wish 
to go to walk will say no." 

" Then three only would say '/20." 

" Very good ; then I would say, Children, we 
will go to walk, because most of you wish to 
do so." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; for there would be fif- 
teen against three. But what do you mean by 
all this, sir ?" 

" When men meet in an assembly to do pub- 
lic business, thev first elect a speaker. Then, 



138 HISTORY OF 

when any one of the members wishes any thing 
to be done, any new law to be made, or any 
thing of that kind, he proposes it to his fellow 
members." 

"Well, suppose they do not agree to the 
proposal, sir ?" 

" That is generally the case : some agree 
and some do not. After all the reasons are 
given on both sides, both for and against the 
law, the speaker then calls for the votes." 

"That is what you did just now, Uncle 
Philip." 

"Yes, exactly." 

" Then you were speaker in our assembly, 
sir?" 

" Yes ; and now can you tell me what the 
speaker does after he takes all the votes ?" 

" Why, if most of the members are in favour 
of the new law, and vote for it, the speaker 
pronounces the law to have passed ; but if most 
of the members are opposed to the new law, 
he then says that the law has not passed. I 
suppose this is the way, sir, for that would be 
just like you when you took the vote about 
going to walk." 

" Very good, my lad. I think you under- 
stand it very well; but you must remember 



NEW-YORK. 139 

that besides this business of taking the votes 
of the members, the speaker has several other 
duties also." 

" What are they, Uncle Philip ?" 

" You would not understand them now if 1 
should tell you. One of his duties, however, 
is very plain ; that is, to preside over the meet- 
ing and keep order." 

" Well, Uncle Philip, you have made this very 
clear ; and will you tell us now what the assem- 
bly thought of Leisler's conduct ?" 

" They said ' that his conduct had been ille- 
gal, and that the massacre at Schenectady was 
owing to him; and as for his holding the fort 
against Governor Sloughter, they pronounced it 
a downright act of rebellion.' " 

"And so Leisler was executed. Uncle 
Philip V\ 

"Yes, but at this time he was in prison. 
Governor Sloughter proposed going up to 
Albany immediately after the assembly had 
finished business ; but the members entreated 
that Leisler and Milborne might be executed 
before he went." 

" Why, Uncle Philip, I should have thought 
it would have made very little difference 
whether they were hanged before or after the 



140 HISTORY OF 

governor left — they were to be hanged, and that 
was enough." 

"But the members had good reasons for 
making that request. Leisler, although he 
was a prisoner, had many friends ; and the 
members of the assembly were afraid that, 
during the governor's absence, these friends 
might rescue the prisoners and make trouble." 

" Ah ! now I understand it, sir." 

"At any rate, Governor Sloughter did not 
seem disposed to comply with their wishes; 
for he even sent a message to them about 
reprieving the prisoners. You know what that 



means 



?" 



"No, sir." 

" Reprieving means pardoning them for a 
time." 

" Governor Sloughter was a strange man, 
Uncle Philip ; for he had, before this, con- 
demned them to death." 

" But he had his reasons, also. He knew 
that these men deserved punishment, but he 
was afraid to punish two men who had so many 
friends, and who had aided the cause of King 
William and Queen Mary so much." 

" Ah, that was a very good reason. Uncle 
Philip ; but did the legislature pardon them, sir'?'* 



NEW-YORK. 141 

" No ; the members all insisted upon hang 
ing Leisler and Milborne immediately, but the 
governor still refused to give his consent." 

" Well, vi^hat v^^as done then, Uncle Philip ?" 

" I vv^ill tell you the way in which the diffi- 
culty was at last settled. The enemies of the 
two prisoners made a very expensive feast, and 
invited Governor Sloughter to attend as one of 
the guests. He went, and after he had drunk 
much more wine than he should have done, 
they requested him to sign the death-warrant, 
and he put his name to it while he was intoxi- 
cated." 

" Uncle Philip, I am sorry to hear that the 
governor was ever di'unk." 

" Some say, my children, that this story is 
false ; but I am afraid that it is true. Drunken- 
ness is an awful vice in any man." 

"Yes, Uncle Philip, it makes any man a 
brute." 

" Worse than a brute ; for you know a brute 
has not got reason, and man has, until he 
drowns his reason by drinking." 

" Yes, sir ; and I always feel ashamed when 
I see a drunken man, for I think of what the 
Bible says : ' Man was made after God^s own 
image ;' and when I see God's image made 



142 HISTORY OF 

worse than a dumb beast, I am sorry indeed, 
Uncle Philip." 

. " Right, my lad ; a drunken man is a pitiable 
object, and I am pleased to hear you talk so ; and 
I wish to tell you one thing, my children, about 
drunkenness. — I never yet have seen a drunk- 
ard who loved to drink when he first began. 
He took a little at first, until at last he became 
fond of it, and then drank a great quantity." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; that was the way with 
poor Tom Smith."* 

" Exactly, my children." 

" Did Governor Sloughter allow his name to 
stand to the paper when he became sober, 
sir?" 

" It was too late for him to alter it, then ; for, 
when he recovered his senses, he found that 
both the prisoners had been executed. Leisler 
left a son when he died, and this son afterward 
went to England with complaints against the 
governor. But the complaints were not heard 
with much attention; for the people there 
thought that Leisler was a rebel, and that he 
deserved death." 

" And what did his son do, then, sir ?" 

" I do not knx)w ; but Queen Mary had some 

* In the Conversations on Natural History. 



NEW-YORK. 143 

compassion upon the families of the prisoners, 
although she thought them rebels. So she 
kindly ordered * that the estates of Jacob Leisler 
and Jacob Milborne should be restored to their 
families, as objects of her majesty's mercy.' 

" These disturbances, as regards Leisler in 
New- York, had so occupied the minds of the 
citizens, that they had. neglected to give the 
Five Nations any assistance against the French, 
and this caused the Mohawks to be dissatisfied 
— indeed, they sent a messenger to Canada to 
treat with Count Frontenac." 

" That was bad news. Uncle Philip." 
" Yes ; but Governor Sloughter met the other 
four nations at Albany, and they were rejoiced 
to see him. The Mohawks confessed that they 
had received a belt from Canada ; but they en- 
treated the governor to give them his advice, 
and after this, they were again friends to the 
English. Then the governor returned to New 
York ; and this w^as the last act of any impor- 
tance which he did, for he died very suddenly." 
" What was the matter, Uncle Philip ?" 
" I cannot say. Some people declared that 
he ^was poisoned ; but that was false, for the 
physician opened his body after his death, and 
said that the story was untrue. Indeed, I do 



144 HISTORY OF 

not know what was the cause of his death; 
but his body was buried in old Governor Stuy- 
vesant's vault, by the side of that of the old 
Dutch governor. 

"Do you remember any such name as 
Schuyler, children?" 

" Oh yes, sir, you have mentioned it before , 
what have you to say about him. Uncle Philip ?" 

" He was very well acquainted with the In- 
dians, and understood their character very well ; 
and I am about to tell you the plan which he 
adopted for the purpose of keeping the Five 
Nations on friendly terms with the English." 

" What was his plan. Uncle Philip ?" 

" He thought that, by showing the superior 
strength of the English over the French, he 
could best secure the friendship of the Indians. 
So, with a party of Mohawks, he passed through 
Lake Champlain, and made an attack upon the 
French settlements at the north end of it. He 
had several battles with them ; the end of all 
which was that he killed about three hundi-ed 
of the French, and that w^as a larger number 
than all his men put together. His plan suc- 
ceeded very well indeed ; for, after this, the 
Indians were more opposed to the French than 
ever. The Five Nations continued to make 



^ 



NEW-YORK. 147 

attacks almost daily upon the French, and 
made great trouble. They were led on by an 
Indian whom they called Black Kettle.^'' 

" That was a strange name, Uncle Philip ; 
did the French submit to all this ?" 

" They were forced to submit to it, for they 
were unable to put a stop to it. But they took 
revenge in a very unjust and cruel manner. 
They burned an Indian prisoner alive." 

" Oh dreadful ! Uncle Philip." 

" This was not all, my lad. They broiled 
his feet, cut his joints, and twisted his sinews 
with red hot bars of iron. Indeed, their ciTiel- 
ties to this poor man were almost too horrible 
to talk about. But the Indian continued sing 
ing in triumph, while all his sufferings were 
going on. 

" I have told you of the death of Governo 
Sloughter ?" 

" Oh yes, Uncle Philip ; and it is time w% 
had looked after the next governor, for I an 
sure the people could not have got on we , 
without one." 

" For a short time there was no governor 

The council, in the meantime, gave the com 

mand to a man named Richard Ingolsby. He 

was called their president. But this office did 
I— M 



148 HISTORY OF 

not continue long — only until a new governor 
came over." 

" I wish to know the new governor's name, 
sir?" 

" It was Benjamin Fletcher. He had been 
raised a soldier, and brought over large quan- 
tities of arms and ammunition to the colony." 

" Tell me the year, if you please, Uncle 
Philip?" 

"In 1692. Governor Fletcher soon found 
out that the Indians would be his worst enemies 
unless he made friends of them ; and he dis- 
covered, also, that Peter Schuyler had a great 
deal of influence over them. They used to say 
that they would do any thing which Quidder 
commanded, for they were certain that he was 
their friend. So one of the first things which 
Fletcher did was to take Schuyler as one of 
his advisers." 

• " But, Uncle Philip, why did they call him 
Quidder .?" 

" They meant Peter — that was his name, 
but they could not pronounce that. This plan 
for keeping the peace with the Indians only 
provoked the French governor still more, and 
he determined to make another attack upon the 
Mohawks. So he collected an army of six 



NEW-YORK 149 

hundred French and Indians, and started frora 
Montreal. After very great hardships, he su< 
ceeded in passing by the town of Schenec 
tady ; and, during the night, seized some of the 
women and children at the first Mohawk 
castle." 

" The Mohawks must have expected them, 
Uncle Philip, if they built a castle ?" 

"No, they did not. These castles were 
nothing more than slight fortifications which 
they had put up some time before, for the sake 
of protecting themselves from attacks. Another 
castle was soon taken, for most of the Indians 
who belonged to that were in the town of Sche- 
nectady. At another the French found them 
in a war-dance, for they were preparing to go 
out upon an enterprise in the morning." 

" And do they dance always before going to 
war. Uncle Philip ?" 

" Generally. They join in the war-dance 
when they wish to obtain men to march with 
them to battle ; sometimes as a sign of victory 
after a battle. You will learn all about Indian 
dances in a book which has been published by 
the Messrs. Harpers for children."* 

* '^ Indiaa Traits." Nos. VII. and VIII. of the " Boy's & 
Girl's Library." 



150 HISTORY OF 

" Oh yes, Uncle Philip, you told us of that 
book once before." 

"Then you must remember it hereafter. 
Well, at this dance, the French succeeded in 
taking a great many prisoners." 

"And did not these Indians fight them, 
sir?" 

" Yes, and the French lost about thirty men. 
It is said that they took in return as many as 
three hundred captives." 

" And what did they do with them, sir ?" 

" They would have murdered them, had it 
not been for the entreaties of the French In- 
dians to save them." 

" Well, Uncle Philip, I should have thought 
that the white men in Schenectady might have 
given the alarm to the Mohawks when the 
French passed through their village ?" 

"And the Mohawks thought so also, and 
were very angry because it had not been done. 
But the conduct of Colonel Schuyler pleased 
them very much. So soon as he heard of their 
troubles, he left Albany with two hundred men. 
He started so suddenly that he carried no pro- 
visions with his army, and his men had no food 
except such as they were able to carry in their 
pockets. When they reached the French a^my. 



NEW-YORK. 151 

tliey had not seen food for several days. To 
make matters worse, my children, the weather 
was very cold." 

" I thmk it was bad, indeed, Uncle Philip. 
War is, in itself, bad enough ; but for soldiers 
to be without any food, and exposed to cold 
weather just before battle, makes war still 
worse." 

"Very true, my lad. But there was not 
much fighting. After one or two skirmishes, 
the French commander thought that no advan- 
tage was to be gained; so the French army 
commenced retreating." 

" What do you mean by retreating, sir ?" 

" Leaving the field. It was in the midst of 
a snow-storm that the retreat commenced, but 
Schuyler pursued them with his men. Pursued 
them so closely, too, that a mere accident en- 
abled them to escape." 

" What was it, sir ?" 

"When the French army reached Hudson 
river, which they had to cross on their way 
homeward, a cake of ice served them to cross 
over it. It was very fortunate that they reached 
that very spot on the banks of the river, for the 
river was open both above and below this cake 
of ice." 



152 HISTORY OF 

" Yes, sir ; and if they had reached any other 
spot they could not have crossed, for the water 
would have stopped them." 

" Exac%, my lad." 

" But, Uncle Philip, why did not Schuyler 
cross over after them ? He might have gone 
over in the same way." 

" Yes, but the Mohawks requested him not 
to do so — the weather was so very cold, and 
they were afraid of an engagement. So he 
stopped the pursuit at the banks of the river, 
after having retaken fifty of the Indian cap- 
tives." 

" And did he lose none of his men, sir ?" 

" Four or five only, while the French lost as 
many as eighty. But both armies suffered 
very much from hunger. Some of the Indians 
who went out with the English w^ere forced to 
eat the dead bodies of the French." 

" Uncle Philip, that was horrible, — worse 
than burning that poor Indian." 

" Awful, indeed, my children, when men are 
forced to eat one another to keep from starving 
It is said that before the French got home, they 
were forced to eat even their shoes. So ended 
the expedition." 



NEW-YORK. 153 



CONVERSATION X. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children more about Governor Fletcher 
and Colonel Schuyler — Talks about Robert Fulton, and teUs 
a story about Christopher Columbus — Cruelty of Count Fron- 
tenac— Murder of an old Onondaga Sachem by the French — 
Arrival of Richard Earl of Bellemont, the new Governor of 
New- York — Death of Count Frontenac. 

" Uncle Philip, I like Colonel Schuyler 
very much. He proved himself a friend to the 
Five Nations just when they needed one." 

" So he did ; but he was not the only one. 
The governor was also ready to help them. If 
I remember right, the news of that attack upon 
the Mohawks reached the city of New-York 
on the twelfth of February, and in less than two 
days Governor Fletcher started with three hun- 
dred men to their relief. He arrived at Sche- 
nectady on the seventeenth of the month, but it 
was too late for him to afford much assistance, 
for the fighting was finished before this." 

" But, sir, he showed his willingness to help 
them, and I think he deserved credit for that, 
Uncle Philip." 



154 HISTORY OF 

" Surely he did, and he obtained it, also. 
The distance from New-York to Schenectady 
is about one hundred and sixty miles ; and when 
the governor performed it in so short a time, the 
Indians gave him anew name — they called him 
Cayenguirago, or the great swift arrow." 

"Do you think that very rapid travelling, 
Uncle Philip ?" 

" It was then very rapid. The journey was 
made in little more than two days. It would 
not be considered very rapid now ; but you 
must remember that there were then no steam- 
boats upon the North river, in which these 
men might have travelled. This was in the 
year 1693; and the first steam-boat that was 
known in America was launched in the year 
1807." 

" Uncle Philip, I did not think of that. Be- 
fore you go on, will you tell me more about that 
steam-boat, sir?" 

" What do you w^ish to know about it ? — you 
have all seen steam-boats, I suppose ?" 

" Oh yes, sir. But who made this first boat, 
Uncle Philip ? and in what water did she first 
jnove ?" 

" She was made under the direction of a man 
named Robert Fulton, and her first experiment 



NEW-YORK. 155 

was on this very river of which we were 
speaking." 

"The Hudson, sir?" 

"Yes; and to show you how much people 
have improved since in making steam-boats, I 
must tell you one fact. This first boat travelled 
only five miles in one hour. — And you know 
that the steam-packets up the North river now 
travel more than twice as fast." 

" But, Uncle Philip, I have heard of Robert 
Fulton before. Was not he an American, 
sir?" 

" Yes, he was born at a place called Little 
Britain, in Lancaster county, in the state of 
Pennsylvania; and he was no common man, 
children. We may all feel proud of him as 
our countryman." 

"Well, Uncle Philip; I have heard some- 
where before that Mr. Fulton was the inventor 
of steam-boats ; and I remember that I once 
heard a boy say that many other men might 
have done this as well as Mr. Fulton." 

" And what did you say to that boy ?" 

•'I told him that I thought it was very 
strange, if so many could have done it, that none 
of them did it." 

" A very good remark, my lad — and now tell 



156 HISTORY OF 

mc if any one of you ever heard the slory about 
Christopher Columbus and the Spanish king, 
when they dined together ?" 

"No, sir." 

" Then I will tell it to you ; and I wish that 
the little boy who talked so foolishly about Mr 
Fulton was here to listen. 

" After Columbus had discovered America, 
he was very kindly received by the King of 
Spain when he returned home. Some of the 
Spanish noblemen were not pleased that he 
should receive much attention from King Fer- 
dinand. — On one occasion he was invited to 
dine with the king and many of these noble- 
men. Columbus went, and the king noticed 
him very kindly at the table. After these no- 
blemen had been drinking wine for some time, 
they began to reproach Columbus, and said that 
any man might have done what he had done. 
They said, in fact, that 'the discovery of 
America was mere chance." Columbus heard 
them with great patience. At length he took 
an egg from the dish, and asked if any one at 
the table could make it stand on its end. They 
all made the attem.pt, but no one could do it 
* Give it to me, gentlemen,' said Columbus. 
He then took the egg, and breaking it at one of 



NEW-yORK. 157 

t ends, it stood at once. They all cried out, 

vvliy, I could have done that.' — ' Yes, if the 

thought had struck you,' said Columbus ; ' and 

if the thought had struck you, you might have 

discovered America.' " 

" This is a good story, Uncle Philip ; and I 
wish with all my heart that William Brown was 
here to learn how foolish he had been." 

" But you do not wish to make any one feel 
foolish ?" 

" No, no. Uncle Philip ; not for the sake of 
making him feel so — but when any one per- 
ceives his own folly, we may then hope that he 
will drop it." 

" Very good ; and we will now go back to 
our story." 

" Excuse me. Uncle Philip, for interrupting 
you ; but I hope you will tell us more about 
our countryman, Mr. Fulton, at some other 
time." 

*' Perhaps so ; but now for our story. You 
would have supposed, after all this kindness 
on the part of Fletcher and Schuyler, that the 
Indians would have kept terms of peace with 
them for a long time." 

" Surely, sir, or they were vcr-y ungrateful." 

" And so they were. One of the tribes went 



158 HISTORY OF 

SO far as to sue for peace with the French. 
It was the Oneida tribe. The truth is, that 
the French had been very cunning ; they had 
sent several Frenchmen among th.e Indians to 
persuade them to make peace with them. The 
most active of these men was one named Mi- 
let. To prevent all this, Fletcher met the Five 
Nations at Albany, and carried wit.h him a large 
present of knives, hatchets, ammunition, and 
clothing, which had been sent over for them bj'- 
the King of England. Here again they ex- 
pressed great gratitude, both to the king and the 
governor ; and they promised to deliver up to 
the governor this old man, Milet — but they 
never performed the promise. 

" The governor then returned to New- York, 
and shortly after met the assembly. But he 
did very little with this or any other assembly, 
except quarrel with the members — and yet I 
have sometimes thought that he was a good 
man." 

" And quarrelling, too, sir ?" 

"Yes. He had one very great infirmity — 
that was a hasty teiiiper. This caused him to 
commit sin. He was anxious that the assem- 
bly should make provision for the clergy and 
for churches, and they seemed unwilling to do 



NEW-YORK. 159 

so; this was the constant cause of dispute. 
Give me that old book on the chair, Thomas — I 
mean the one with part of the covering torn 
off; I think I can prove to you that he was a 
good man. 

" Let me see — here it is. This, my chil- 
dren, is a part of one of his messages to the 
assembly : * Let us not forget that there is a 
God that made us, who will protect us if we 
serve him^ — ' I hope you are all satisfied of 
the great necessity and duty that lies upon you 
to do this, as you expect his blessing upon your 
labours.^ That sounds very much like a good 
man." 

" Yes, sir." 

" Now, listen to a part of another message : 
* In your conduct you have shown a great deal 
of stiffness. You take upon you as if you 
were dictator.'' You know a dictator means 
one who commands or dictates." 

" That sounds very insolent, Uncle Philip." 

"Very, indeed ; and therehe shows the hasty 
temper of which I spoke. Many people think 
that he was a very wicked man ; but I myself 
cannot believe that he was. I am sony that 
he did not keep his temper under better con- 



160 HISTORY OF 

trol ; but I pity this weakness for the -sake of 
his other good quahties." 

" Well, Uncle Philip, did he succeed in 
building any churches ?" 

" When you go to New-York, you will see 
Trinity church standing in Broadway, directly 
opposite Wall-street. Indeed, you will see it 
from the deck of the steam-boat, before you 
reach the city ; for the church steeple is near 
two hundred feet high. This church was built 
in the year 1696, while Fletcher was gover- 
nor. It did not look then exactly as it does 
now ; for the present is comparatively a new 
church. 

" But, besides his trouble with the assembly, 
Fletcher had further trouble with the Indians, 
Although they had promised to give up Milet, 
they had not done it; and the old man had 
succeeded in making many of them friends to 
the French. Indeed, the Indians had allowed 
them to rebuild Fort Frontenac, which com- 
mands the entrance from Canada into Lake 
Ontario. This, you know, was an important 
station to the French. 

" Governor Fletcher went again to Albany 
with presents for the Indians, and blamed them 



NEW-YORK. 161 

very much for suffering the French to rebuild 
that fort." 

"And I suppose they professed friendship 
again, sir?" 

" Yes ; and at the same time the Five Nations 
made a peace with the tribe of Dinondadies. 
This tribe hved near Lake Missihmakinac, and 
the Five Nations had before this always been 
afraid to march all their force against the 
French because of these very Indians. One 
of the Indians who assisted in making this 
treaty was taken by the French, and murdered 
in a most cruel way — too cruel, my children, 
to relate. He was roasted alive at the stake !" 

" Uncle Philip, this was worse than savage 
cruelty." 

" It was savage butchery, indeed. But 
Count Frontenac was a cruel man, and he de- 
termined to punish the Indians for their friend- 
ship with the English. It is said, that the 
French never had so active a governor in 
Canada, either before or after, as this man. 
And he was active, indeed, my children ; for 
he spared no means of making conquests for 
the French government, however wicked or 
cruel. He had grown old in Canada, and he 
hated the Indians, if possible, still more than 



162 HISTORY OF 

ever. He resolved to make another attack — 
more particularly upon the Onondagas. 

"He collected a large army, and -started 
from Montreal. After twelve days' march, 
they arrived at Fort Frontenac, and immediately 
crossed the lake to Oswego." 

" Lake Ontario, you mean, sir V 

" Yes ; look on the map, and you will see. 
Here they divided. Fifty men marched on 
each side of the Onondaga river, in order that 
they might certainly avoid being discovered in 
their approach. They went down as far as 
the Lake Onondaga, some in boats and some 
on foot, determined that some one of these dif- 
ferent parties should surprise the Indians." 

" And were the Onondagas expecting them, 

sir?" 

" Oh yes ; and were ready to fight, for they 
had sent their wives and children far away to 
places of safety. But an accident prevented 
their destruction." 

" How 1 How, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Fortunately for them, a deserter came over 
and told them of the superior strength of the 
French. He told them, also, of the bombs 
which the French had, and which would prove 
very dangerous to them." 



NEW-YORK. 163 

" Will you tell me what a bomb is, Uncle 
Philip ?" 

" It is a hollow ball made of iron, and filled 
with powder, nails, and pieces of iron. A slow 
match is fixed to this ball — it is then thrown 
from the mouth of a cannon into the midst of 
the enemy, and when it bursts does great mis- 
chief." 

" The deserter's news was fortvmate news 
indeed, sir." 

" It was ; and the Onondagas, after setting 
fire to their village, retired to the woods. As 
soon as the count heard of this, he marched to 
their smoking huts, determined to murder all 
that he could find. And yet, my children, 
though this man was so bloodthirsty, he was, at 
that very time, so weak that he was carried in 
an elbow-chair behind his army." 

" And how many did he murder, sir ?" 

" Ah ! here he was disappointed ; for he 
found but one old man amid the ruins. — This 
was an old Indian sachem about one hundred 
years old, who was waiting to receive him. 
The French Indians seized him, and began 
to torture him ; but he bore his sufferings like a 
brave man. — One of them stabbed him with a 
knife. The old man looked at him and said, 



164 HISTORY OF 

*you had better make me die by fire, that 
these French dogs may learn how to suffer hke 
men : you Indians, their alUes, you dogs of 
dogs, think of me when you are in the hke 
condition.' " 

" Uncle Philip, this old man was brave, in- 
deed." 

" Well, children ; this Onondaga sachem was 
the only person killed, and after this Comit Fron- 
tenac returned home." 

" To France, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Oh no, to Canada ; for he died there, as you 
m\\ learn, as I go on. This enterprise had 
Deen so expensive, and the Five Nations con- 
tinued to make such attacks upon the French, 
that there was a famine in Canada. But still 
the old count kept up his opposition, and was 
constantly sending out scalping parties to dis- 
turb the people in Albany and its neighbour- 
hood, until he was stopped by the peace of 
Ryswick, in the year 1697." 

" What was the peace of Ryswick, sir ?" 

" It was a treaty of peace which was made 
between England, Germany, Holland, France, 
and Spain, in the year 1697. Before this these 
countries had been at war. Ryswick, you 
know, is a town in Holland ; and as this treaty 



NEW-YORK. 167 

was signed at that town, it is commonly called 
the treaty of Ryswick. Do you understand 
me?" 

" Oh, yes. Uncle Philip ; and as this treaty 
was signed on the part of England and France, 
that stopped the fighting in Canada." 

" Yes ; and now, as soon as this treaty was 
signed, a new governor came out from England 
to New- York. His name was Richard Earl 
of Bellemont. He brought out with him a 
man called John Nanfan, who was to be 
lieutenant-governor. One of the first things to 
be attended to by this governor, was the ex- 
change of English and French prisoners. But 
in this matter old Count Frontenac gave more 
trouble about the manner of giving up the pris- 
oners." 

"What Avas the difficulty. Uncle Philip?" 

" It would require some time to explain it, and 
I hardly think it is worth your attention. The 
French governor died, however, before the 
business was finished, and his successor, Mon- 
sieur de Callieres, settled it. And this was the 
last of old Count Frontenac " 



168 HISTORY OF 



CONVERSATION XI. 

Uncle Philip takes a walk with the Children, and talks alout the 
Pirate Kidd— Earl of Bellemont's death— Talks of Lord Corn- 
bury, the new Governor — Shows the Children what abase man 
he was — Tells how Queen Anne removed him from office, and 
jent Lord Lovelace to be Governor in his place — Talks of 
Richard Ingolsby — Speaks of Five Indians who went to see 
Queen Anne — Governor Hunter arrives — The Enghsh fail in 
an attempt upon the French in Canada. 

" Good morning, Uncle Philip — you have 
your hat and stick in your hand, as though you 
were going to take a walk, sir." 

" How do you all do, my young friends ? — I 
am going to walk. I have just heard of an old 
neighbour of mine who is very sick. He lives 
about two miles from me, and I am glad you 
have come just at this moment ; for if you feel 
disposed, I will have your company." 

" Oh yes. Uncle Philip ; and much obliged 
to you, too." 

" Come on, then ; you can go with me as far 
as the old man's house, and then you can re 
turn home ; for he wishes to see me alone." 



NEW-YORK. 169 

" Very good, sir ; and now what about the 
Earl of Bellemont, sir ?" 

'' Oh yes. He met trouble as soon as he 
reached New-York — first in exchanging the 
prisoners, you know; and also he had difficul- 
ties about some pirates." 

" Pirates are wicked men who rob people on 
the ocean — are they not, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Yes. A complaint had before this gone to 
England, saying that many pirates found pro- 
tection in the harbour of New-York. So the 
King of England instructed the new governor 
to stop this when he should reach the country. 
In order to do this, the earl, before he left 
England, sent out a vessel commanded by a 
man called William Kidd, for the purpose of 
capturing these pirates. In the expense of fit- 
ting out this vessel, many English gentlemen 
assisted. But Kidd turned pirate himself, 
burned his vessel, and went to Boston." 

" Uncle Philip, stop one moment, if you 
please, while I run down to the beach, and ask 
those men what they are digging for." 

" Make haste, then, and be careful that you 
are not hurt. An English ship was afterward 
sent out after this man Kidd, but she was driven 
back by headwinds ; and some people said 



170 HISTORY OF 

that those Enghsh gentlemen who fitted out 
Kidd's vessel were glad of it." 

" Why, Uncle Philip ?" 

" The people said that it was well known 
that Kidd was a pirate before he went out * 
and that these gentlemen were to have part of 
his plunder." 

" Uncle Philip, do you beheve that ?" 

" Not one word of it. But here are the boys 
running back. What did the men say, my 
children?" 

" There are but two of them there ; and they 
said they would not tell us what they were 
doing, and ordered us to go away." 

" Then I think I can tell you what it means. 
The foolish men are digging for gold and silver, 
which they think this very man, Kidd, and his 
crew, buried along the shore more than one 
hundred years since." 

" Do you suppose there is any money there, 
Uncle Philip ?" 

" No, no ; but foolish people are very often 
digging on the shores of Long Island and Con- 
necticut for Kidd's money. I do not believe 
that any was buried there ; and if there was, I 
suppose that the man who put it there has 
taken it away, and had the use of it long ago." 



i 



NEW-YORK. 173 

*^ Uncle Philip, tell us what became of 
Kidd?" 

" Earl Bellemont went to Boston in the year 
1699, on business, and there heard of him. 
Kidd was ordered to explain what he had done. 
He refused; and he was arrested, with several 
of his men. They were all tried, condemned, 
and hanged." 

"As they deserved to be, sir." 

" Surely. The earl died soon after this, 
just as he was beginning to be useful to the 
people. It was in the year 1701." 

*' He was governor for a short time. Uncle 
Philip ?" 

" Between three and four years ; and if he 
had lived longer, the people would have done 
better, perhaps." 

" Why, Uncle Philip ? Who succeeded 
him?" 

" The lieutenant-governor, John Nanfan, 
managed the colony for a short time, until the 
arrival of Lord Cornbury, one of the worst 
governors ever known in America. John 
Nanfan was cruel, but the new governor was 
more cruel than him. I will tell you something 
about this man. 

" Lord Cornbur}^ was an English nobleman, 



174 HISTORY OF 

and was the son of the Earl of Clarendon. 
When the Prince of Orange was made king, he 
became a warm friend to King William. The 
king, to reward him, it is supposed, made him 
governor of New- York; and Queen Anne, also, 
who succeeded William III., gave him the 
same appointment. He came to the country- 
poor, and left many debts in England unpaid. 
As soon as he arrived in the country, he re- 
leased a man by the name of Bayard from 
prison, whom Nanfan had placed there." 
" Uncle Philip, that was not so bad." 
" No ; but he did this, I believe, merely be- 
cause Be yard had declared in favour of him 
before his arrival. It was cruel to place Bayard 
there ; ' ut this new governor did worse things 
than this." 

" Will you tell us what he did, sir ?" 
" He made use of the public money which 
was committed to him. He told falsehoods to 
the people — he persecuted those who would 
not think exactly as he did in matters of reli- 
gion — he disputed continually with the assem- 
bly ; and for six years, oppressed the people so 
much that, at length, the assembly of New- 
Jersey sent a complaint against him to Queen 
Anne." 



NEW-YORK. 175 

"Was he governor of New- Jersey also, 
sir?" 

" Yes ; the queen had given him that gov- 
ernment also. But when these complaints 
were forwarded against him, she turned him 
out of office, and declared Lord Lovelace gov- 
ernor in his place." 

"Uncle PhiHp, I think well of Queen 
Anne." 

" Indeed, she was a good woman — so very 
kind to her subjects that she was always called 
' the good Queen Anne.'' As soon as the queen 
had done this, the people in New- York threw 
Lord Cornbury into prison, and there he re- 
mained until the death of his father. When 
Earl Clarendon died, his son went home to 
succeed him in the earldom; and when he 
left here, my children, he was unable and un- 
willing to pay his debts in this country ; so 
that many poor tradesmen who worked for him 
were left, themselves and families, without any 
money for their labour." 

" Then he was base, sir." 

" And you must remember that he was 
Queen Anne's cousin ; and that proves that she 
would not suffer even her relations to oppress 
her people." 



176 HISTORY OF 

" What sort of a man was this Lord Love- 
lace, uncle ?" 

" He was not in the country long enough for 
us to know what he would have been. He 
brought with him large supplies of soldiers, 
and presents for the Lidians, and of course the 
people were all happy to see him. The as- 
sembly, also, voted to give him a very good 
salary — about sixteen hundred pounds, I think, 
which was a large supply of money." 

" And how happened it, sir, that he was here 
a short time ?" 

" He died soon after he came here, my chil- 
dren. The members of the assembly acted 
very strangely after his death ; for though Lady 
Lovelace remained in the country for some 
time, entreating that she might receive a portion 
of the promised salary, it was a long time be- 
fore she succeeded. Indeed, Queen Anne her- 
self had to write a letter in her behalf. 

" As soon as Lord Lovelace was dead* 
Richard Ingolsby, the lieutenant-governor, took 
the command of affairs." 

" Why, Uncle Philip, have we not heard of 
him before ?" 

" Yes ; this was the same man who governed 
for a short time after Sloughter's death." 



NEW-YORK. 177 

" And what was done by him now, Uncle 
Philip ; for, if I remember right, he did very 
little before." 

" His government was this time only re 
markable for an attempt to conquer Canada." 

" The French and English again at war^ 
sir?" 

" Yes. I should have told you before, that 
in the year 1702, the first year of Queen Anne's 
reign, the English again declared war against 
the French. In this expedition against Canada, 
all the people were pleased — the legislature 
also approved of it — all the men in New-Eng- 
land promised to give their assistance; and 
Francis Nicholson was chosen general. You 
know we talked of him before V 

" Yes, Uncle Philip ; and I wish to know 
how all this ended." 

" A large army was collected, and they all 
met at Albany, for that was the place of mete- 
^ng ; but, after all, the whole scheme failed." 

^' What was the matter, sir?" 

" The people in New-York, my children 
said that Canada was not conquered, because 
their friends did not help them as they promised. 
They declared that the fault was not with 
them ; and I am sure that it was true, for they 



178 HISTORY OF 

spared neither time nor money in doing all that 
was in. their power. Most of the forts wliich 
were erected, were built at their expense ; be- 
side^ a great number of boats and canoes, for 
the purpose of carrying the army over the 
lakes. In fact, they obtained as many as six 
hundred Indians for their army; and fed a 
thousand Indian women and children, while 
their husbands and brothers were out on the 
campaign." 

" And did they never make an attack. Uncle 
Philip ?" 

" None. But I must not omit to mention 
that brave man, Colonel Schuyler. He dis- 
liked the French very much ; and he knew that 
it would be impossible to make that attack 
upon them without securing the friendship of 
the Five Nations. To do this, he spent a large 
part of his own fortune in buying presents 
for their chiefs. They never came to Albany 
without going to his house ; and they used to 
sit at his table, and eat dinners with him. So 
you see that all these Indians were ready to 
fight against Canada." 

" Uncle Philip, they ought to have tried that 
battle at all hazards." 

" Oh no, my lad. They were disappointed 



NEW-YORK. 179 

in receiving some British troops from Boston ; 
and, altogether, I think they knew more about 
the danger than we do." 

" Yes, sir, I know that." 

" Bnt Colonel Schuyler was not to be 
stopped by this failure. He resolved to go to 
England and see the queen, and entreat her to 
assist them in making another effort against 
Canada. He determined, too, to pay his own 
expenses in this matter, and to carry out with 
him five Indian sachems." 

" And did they go, sir ?" 

" Oh yes ; they all went, and laid their peti- 
tion before Queen Anne." 

"Uncle Philip, in what part of England 
does the queen live ?" 

" In London. Why did you ask that ques- 
tion?" 

"I was thinking, sir, how strangely those 
Indians must have felt — how much they must 
have been surprised, when they saw such a city 
as London !" 

" And so they were ; but the people in 
London were quite as much surprised to see 
them. They followed them through the 
streets to look at them. ; and made small pic- 
tures of them, and sold them in their shops as 



180 HISTORY OF 

curiosities. But they did not look so strangely 
as you suppose. Do you know what sort of 
clothes Indians commonly wear ?" ^ 

" Oh yes, Uncle Philip ; I have seen an In- 
dian. They wear blankets over their shoulders.'' 

" Yes ; but these were not dressed in that 
way. When they reached England, the Eng- 
lish court was in mourning for the Prince of 
Denmark. All the English noblemen had 
black clothes ; and when these Indians went 
before the queen, they put on black clothes, 
also, as a mark of respect. They wore over 
their shoulders scarlet mantles, trimmed with 
gold edging. So, I suppose, they looked like 
civilized men. But I imagine they felt strangely 
when they were placed in the carriages to ride 
to St. James's palace. But we will leave 
these men in England for awhile, and return 
to New-York. "While they were there, Ingolsby 
was displaced; and a man called Gerardus 
Beekman ruled the colony for three months. 
He then gave up the government to Colonel 
Hunter, who came over as the new governor. 
This man is quite a favourite with me, my 
children; so I will tell you every thing that I 
knov/ about him." 

" If you please, sir.*' 



NEW-YORK. 183 

" He was born in Scotland ; and when he 
was quite a boy, he was put apprentice to an 
apothecary.' ^But as he did not hke this, he left 
his master and went into the army. How he 
was pleased there I do not know — indeed, I 
know nothing more of him until the year 1707. 
In that year he was sent out as lieutenant- 
governor to Virginia ; but was captured by the 
French on his voyage, and caiTied to France as 
a prisoner. When he returned to England, he 
was appointed by the queen governor of New- 
York and New- Jersey. I have seen a letter, 
my children, which a man named Jonathan 
Swift, commonly called Dean Swift, wrote to 
Colonel Hunter while he was in prison in 
France. When you are old enough to under- 
stand it you can read the letter, and you will 
then see that Colonel Hunter was an intimate 
friend to Mr. Joseph Addison." 

" Who was he, Uncle Philip ?" 

" He was a very good man, who lived in 
England about this time ; and I mentioned the 
fact, because I do not think that such a man as 
xMr. Addison would have been a friend to Hun- 
ter, unless he had been a good man." 

*' Oh, I understand you, sir." 

" Hunter brought over with him near three 



184 HISTORY OF 

thousand Germans, who had come to England 
the year before. Some of these men settled 
on the North river ; but most oT^them went to 
the state of Pennsylvania. They were very 
much pleased with the countr5r, and sent such 
favourable accounts to Germany that many of 
their countrymen came over. And I wish that 
more of them would come, for they make very 
honest and industrious citizens. I am never 
sorry to see a vessel from Holland or Germany 
filled with emigrants. And here Queen Anne 
again showed her kindness, for she treated 
these Germans as well as if they had been Eng- 
lishmen. 

" When Hunter reached the country, he first 
went to Albany, to meet the chiefs of the Five 
Nations and renew the old covenant of peace 
with them, — -and after that he called the as- 
sembly. — i\.nd in this assembly he had some 
able men ; — I wish you to remember the names 
of two. — One is Mr. De Lancey — the other 
Colonel Morris. Mr. De Lancey had fled to 
this country from France to avoid persecution 
for his religion. He was what is called a Prot- 
estant, and some of the French people were at 
that time persecuting these very Protestants. 
So it became dangerous for him to remain 



NEW-YORK. 185 

there. He was very useful in Colonel Hunt- 
er's assembly. 

" Colonel Morris was the son of an English- 
man, who had come to the country and settled 
in Westchester county, in this state. His father 
died when he was quite young; and young 
Lewis was left to the care of his uncle. He 
was a wild boy, and frequently gave oifence to 
this uncle. On one occasion he behaved so 
badly, that he was afraid of the resentment of 
his uncle, and strolled away into Virginia ; and 
from thence he went to Jamaica, in the West 
Indies." 

" And what did he do there, Uncle Philip ?" 

" He succeeded in supporting himself very 
readily ; for he set up as a scrivener." 

" What is a scrivener, sir ?" 

" He is a man who writes deeds and ctjnvey- 
ances, as they are called by lawyers. You are 
hardly old enough to understand it, but I will 
try to explain it. Suppose, Thomas, that I 
should sell you my house ; it would be neces- 
sary for me to give you a paper, stating that 
the house was hereafter to be yours." 

"Well, sir." 

" Then that paper is called a deed : it must 



186 HISTORY OP 

be •written in a particular way, and tlie persoD 
who writes it is called a scrivener." 

" Oh, that is all clear." 

" After several years spent in this way, 
Lewis Morris returned to his uncle ; and the 
old gentleman received him with great kindness. 
He lived then, for a long time, in New- Jersey ; 
and he was the very man who drew up that 
complaint against Lord Cornbury, and carried 
it to the queen. So you see that Morris was 
now a man of some consequence in the colony ; 
and Mr. Hunter chose him as one of his friends 
and advisers." 

" Uncle Philip, I want to hear something 
more about the five Indians." 

" Well, my lad : after they had seen all the 
curiosities of London, and been entertained by 
many men of distinction, they retm-ned : and 
there is an amusing story told of one of them. 
It is said that when hfi saw carpets on the 
floors in London, he thought it was very foolish, 
and said that the English did not know how to 
make use of their articles : so he purchased a 
piece to make a blanket for his shoulders ; but 
it was rather too heavy, and he did not like it. 
I have heard this story, but cannot say that it 
is true." 



NEW-YORK. 187 

"Uncle Philip, that was strange. But did 
they succeed in getting assistance ?" 

"Not immediately. Colonel Nicholson, with 
ihe help of some of the New-England people, 
made a very successful attack upon the coast 
of Nova Scotia ; and after that the people were 
encouraged, and he entreated again that forces 
might be sent over to reduce Canada. Then 
it was that the queen recollected the requests 
of these Indians, and she resolved to help 
them." 

" And now for the war upon Canada, Uncle 
Philip." 

" Queen Anne immediately started five thou- 
sand troops from England. After a month's 
passage, the fleet arrived at Boston on the 
4th of June, 1711. Nicholson, you know, 
was to be commander of the land forces ; so 
he went straight to New- York to look for sol- 
diers." 

" And I feel sm-e, almost, that he found them, 
sir." 

" Yes, you are right. Mr. Hunter called 
the assembly at once. They were all pleased 
with the plan, and they passed a law for the 
purpose of raising forces. So every thing 
went on well. While these preparations were 
I.—P 



188 HISTORY OF 

making in New-York, a fleet of twelve men 
of-war and forty smaller vessels, all well filled 
with soldiers and warlike stores, sailed for 
Canada from Boston ; and in a short time Col- 
onel Nicholson appeared at Albany, with an 
army of four thousand men." 

" But, Uncle Philip, did all these men come 
from New-York ?" 

" Oh no ; some were from New-England, 
and some from New- Jersey ; and Colonel 
Schuyler was there, also, my children, with six 
hundred Indians of the Five Nations, to join the 
English army." 

" Oh, Uncle Philip, that looks well. Go on, 
sir, and let us hear all about it. Did the 
French expect this attack, sir ?" 

" Yes. Vaudreuil, their governor, was at 
Montreal when he heard of it. He sent orders 
immediately to Quebec, to have that place put 
in order for defence, and commanded all the 
men to be ready to march at a moment's warn- 
ing. About four hundred Indians, also, came 
to Montreal to offer him their services. This 
French governor, boys, knew what he was 
doing ; for, he not only fortified Quebec, but 
he placed guards at all the principal posts on 
both sides of the river below that town. That 



NEW-YORK. 189 

was done to prevent the English from landing 
anywhere upon the shore. 

" In a short time the fleet appeared in the 
mouth of the river St. Lawrence. And now, 
children, the English had more trouble again. 
It was very dark and foggy, and they w^ere out 
of sight of land ; and the whole fleet was 
driven over upon the north shore of the river, 
among rocks and islands." 

" What a pity, Uncle Philip ! Were any of 
the ships lost?" 

" The men-of-war all escaped ; but eight of 
the smaller vessels, with eight hundred officers, 
soldiers, and seamen, were cast away. As 
soon as they could, they retired to a safe place, 
to hold a council of war, to know what was to 
be done." 

" And what was done. Uncle Philip ?" 

" Their provisions were nearly exhausted, 
and they were not certain of getting a supply 
from New-England ; so they determined to go 
home." 

" Then all that was for nothing again, sir ?" 
" All for nothing. But this was not the only 
trouble — for one of the English ships was 
blown up. She had on board at the time, my 
children, more than four hundred people. And 
this was the last of this expedition." 



190 HISTORY OF 

" It was a sad ending, Uncle Philip. 

" Sad, indeed. And now, ckildren, you can 
see the top of my old friend's house, just over 
the hill. So you can now return home, while 
I pay my visit. Good morning to you all." 

" Farewell, Uncle Philip." 



CONVERSATION XII. 

Uncle Philip tells the Children of Hunter's Return to England 
—Reads part of a Letter to prove that he was a good man 
— Tells how Peter Schuyler ruled for a short time, until Mr. 
. Burnet, the new Governor, arrived — Tells who William Bur- 
net was, and proves that he loved his country. 

" Good morning, Uncle Phihp. How did 
you find the old man, sir ?" 

" Much better — much better, my lad. I think 
he will be well in a day or two." 

" I am glad to hear that, sir. Uncle Philip, 
I cannot avoid smiling whenever I think of that 
Indian and the carpets in London." 

" It was a little strange, my lad ; but I have 
heard of greater mistakes than that. It is said 
that some of the Indians in Virginia, the first 
time they seized a quantity of gunpowder from 
the whites, sowed it for grain — expecting to 
reap a large crop by the next harvest ; and then 



NEW-YORK. 191 

they thought they would blow away the whole 
colony." 

" What a mistake, Uncle Philip !" 

" Yes ; and I have read of one quite as great 
among the people in Norway. The frozen 
Norwegians, when the}^ first saw roses, were 
afraid to touch them, it is said." 

"Why, sir?" 

" Because they thought that they were trees 
budding with fire. But these were very natural 
mistakes after all, children." 

" Yes, sir ; for the Indians did not know the 
nature of powder : and the people in that cold 
country, Norway, knew nothing about a rose- 
bush." 

" Where did we leave off? We talked last 
of the return of the fleet from Canada, and the 
blowing up of the English ship Edgar, did we 
not?" 

" Yes, sir ; but you did not tell us the name 
before." 

" As soon as the Marquis de Vaudreuil heard 
that the fleet was gone — " 

" But, Uncle Philip, excuse me for interrupt- 
ing you ; will you tell me how he heard it ?" 

" Some French fishing-boats were in the 
river, and they saw the fleet move off" 



192 HISTORY OF 

" And they carried the news, sir ?" 
" Yes. As soon, then, as the French gover- 
nor heard it, he collected three thousand nien 
to oppose Nicholson's army. — But this was 
useless ; for the army returned as soon as they 
heard the bad news about the fleet, and left the 
citizens of Albany dreadfully frightened. And 
they had cause to be so; for small parties of 
the French continued to plague them for a long 
time. 

" But the worst part of all this business was 
this : — The failure caused the Indians to think 
that the English were not so strong as the 
French. And, you know, this would be likely 
to make them friends to the French. And 
some of them were very much dissatisfied with 
the English, and disposed to go to war with 
them — indeed, some sent belts of wampum to 
some of the other tribes ; which was an invita- 
tion to be at peace with them, but to make war 
upon the English." 

" What does loampum mean, sir ?'"' 
" Indian money is commonly called ivam 
pum. But what I mean here was a belt made 
of a particular sort of shells, which I think 1 
have told you before was given as a token of 
peace sometimes. 



NEW-YORK. 193 

" But this was not the only danger of the 
EngHsh. There was an insun'ection at this 
time in the city of New-York." 

" What was the matter there, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Some of the negroes there became dis- 
satisfied, from what cause I cannot say; but 
they formed a plot to set fire to the city. 
They succeeded in burning one house in the 
night, and murdered many of the white people, 
who were making efforts to extinguish the fire. 
Thje end of all this, my children, was the exe- 
cution of nineteen of these negroes for their 
wickedness. But, fortunately for the English, 
another peace was made at this time with the 
French." 

"Ah, Uncle Philip, that was fortunate- 
What was the year V 

"In the year 1713 it was concluded, and it 
is commonly called the peace of Utrecht." 

" Because it was signed there, I suppose, 
sir?" 

" Yes ; and do you know where the place is 
situated ?" 

" Surely, Uncle Philip, we know that. It is 
in Holland, southeast of Amsterdam." 

" Was Queen Anne still on the throne when 
that peace was made, sir ?" 



194 HISTORY OF 

" Yes ; and she lived more than a year after 
it, and was then succeeded by King George the 
First. 

" This defeat in the attack upon Canada had 
cost a large quantity of money, so that the 
colony was much in debt ; and this made diffi 
culty between Mr. Hunter and the legislature. 
But still the members respected him very 
much, although they differed in opinion with 
him. — I can tell you a story to prove this. 
There was one man in the legislature who did 
not like Governor Hunter, and he sent a report 
to England, filled with abuse of him. This 
paper was printed, and some miserable fellows 
delivered copies of it at the door of the English 
House of Commons to the members as they 
went in. But these gentlemen would not no- 
tice it. When Hunter heard that this paper 
had been sent to England, he informed the 
New-York legislature of it. This legislature 
declared that the charges in the paper were 
false and malicious, and expressed great con- 
tempt for the man who wrote it." 

" And who did write it, Uncle Philip ? Was 
it ever discovered ?" 

" It was thought that a man named Mulford 
had done it, but it was not certain. Not long 



NEW-YORK. 195 

after this, Mr. Hunter began to talk of returning 
home." 

" Were all the people now so much pleased 
with him, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Yes. He said that his health was bad, and 
that he had private business in England. He 
said, too, that he was proud to call himself their 
countryman ; and promised that if he could, he 
would return to them. Every person was 
sorry when the governor talked of leaving them ; 
for he had treated them kindly, and watched 
their interests closely. This morning, before 
you came, I looked into the letter which the 
legislature sent to him when he expressed his 
determination. I thought that you would like 
to hear it." 

" Yes yes, Uncle Philip." 

" It will show you the feelings of the people 
»etter than anything that I can say. Here is a 
part of it : — 

" ' We have seen many governors, aiid may 
see more ; and as none of them ivho had the 
honour to serve in your station ivere ever sc 
justly fixed in the affections of the governed, 
so those to come will acquire no mean reputa- 
tion, when it can he said of them their conduct 
has been like yours y 



196 HISTORY OF 

" Ah, Uncle Philip, that was kind. I like 
to see such feeling between a governor and his 
people. It proves that he treated them kindly." 

" I think so. After this, Mr. Hunter went 
home, and for a little while our old friend to 
the Indians took care of the colony." 

"Do you mean Colonel Schuyler, sir ?" 

" Yes." 

" Then, I'll engage for it, he did something 
for the Five Nations." 

" You are right. He only ruled for a short 
time, until Mr. Burnet, the new governor, should 
arrive ; but in that short time he did something 
for the Indians. He went immediately to 
Albany, and made the leagLie still stronger 
with them." 

" Uncle Philip, Mr. Schuyler was a very 
useful man, I think." 

" Very useful : in fact, I hardly know how 
the English could have done without him ir 
their troubles with the Indians." 

" Yes, sir ; for the savages would have been 
their most dangerous enemies without him. 
But who was this Mr. Burnet, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Ah, my children, he was another good gov- 
ernor. I am glad to talk of him, for I always 
like to speak of a good man ; and I think that 



NEW-YORK. 197 

William Burnet deserved the name. He was 
both able and conscientious. And he should 
have been so, my children." 

" Yes, Uncle Philip, every person ought to 
be conscientious." 

" But Mr. Burnet had better reason for being 
so than others. He was the son of a great and 
good man. Did you ever hear of Bishop 
Burnet?" 

" No, Uncle Philip." 

" When you arc older, and begin to read 
large books, and to study the lives of great 
men, you will become acquainted with Bishop 
Burnet. He was a Scotchman, born in the 
city of Edinburgh, and he was the father of 
this governor." 

" And you mean. Uncle Philip, that he 
should have been a good man, because his 
father was ?" 

" Yes ; and do you not think so, also ? I 
feel sad w^ien I look upon wickedness any- 
wdiere ; but it is a sad, sad thing, when we see 
a wicked son disgracing a pious father — not 
only disgracing him, but sometimes killing him 
by his wickedness. If I had a father who 
was a great and good man, I should strive to 
be like him ; that people might not point at me 



198 HISTORY OF 

and say that my parent was good, but that I 
was wicked." 

" Sinrely,' surely, Uncle Philip." 

" Mr. Burnet held an office in the city of Lon- 
don. I think he was what is called ' comptroller 
of the customs' there, when Hunter arrived. So 
he gave up his office to Hunter, and then came 
to this country." 

" Then, Uncle Philip, they exchanged offices 
— that was all." 

" True. But before he left England, he learned 
from Mr. Hunter much about the New-York 
people — about their habits, and their manners, 
and their wishes ; all which aided him very 
much in ruling them satisfactorily. 

" Governor Burnet had been well educated, 
my children, and he was fond of his books. 
He liked very much to have his time to him- 
self for reading and writing. This is the way 
with most scholars. Although Burnet liked 
this, he did not practise it. Instead of keeping 
to himself, he constantly mixed with the peo- 
ple, and was very polite and kind to them." 

" Then I should suppose, Uncle Philip, that 
he would have been a great favourite with 
them?" 

" So he was at first. The members of the 



NEW VORK. 199 

legislature looked to him with great ple-isure 
and pride, for they declared that they beheved 
their governor to be 'the worthy son of a worthy 
father.' But, like every man, whether good or 
bad, he had some enemies ; and now I must 
tell you who they were. 

" At the time of Governor Burnet's arrival, 
the French in Canada were in the habit of 
going to Albany, buying articles there frojn the 
English — ^then returning to Canada, and there 
selling them again to the Indians. You will 
see plainly, my children, that this would carry 
the Indians to Canada for the purposes of 
trade, instead of carrying them to Albany, 
Besides this, it gave the French a very fine op- 
portunity for making the Indians enemies to 
the English. Am I understood by you ?" 

" Yes, sir." 

" Mr. Bm-net, then, saw these difficulties, 
and he caused a law to be passed forbidding 
this French trade to Albany. This gave offence ; 
for some of the merchants in Albany, who sold 
the goods and were making money, were un- 
willing to lose any part of their trade." 

" Then they were willing to make money, 
Uncle Philip, even at the expense of their 
country ?" 



200 HISTORY OF 

" Yes, that is the plain meaning of it ; and 
this will serve to show you, my children, that 
too oreat a love of money will make any man 
base. These merchants in Albany caused 
some of the London merchants to complain to 
the king of Mr. Burnet. But this did not in- 
jure him; for some of his friends proved very 
plainly that the law was a very good one." . . 

" I am glad of that, sir ; for I think that 
Mr. Burnet was right." 

" Yes, my lad ; but he went farther than this. 
He saw that it was necessary, if possible, for 
him to get the possession of Lake Ontario. 
So he built a trading-house at Oswego." 

" Did the French allow this, sir ?" 

" Of course, they were opposed to it ; and 1 
am sorry to tell you that the people in Albany 
secretly violated this law, and traded with the 
French ; indeed, it is said, that they sold arms 
and ammunition to them. But of this I am not 
certain. However, the new settlement at Os- 
wego continued to do so well that the French 
became alarmed. They thought that it would 
ruin their trade with the Indians altogether. 
And now look up at Lake Ontario on the map. 
You know that the French had already built 
Fort Frontenac at the east end of it ?" 



NEW-YORK. 201 

" Yes, sir." 

" And they now determined to build a large 
storehouse at the west end of it also, and 
thereby command the whole lake. So they 
launched two ships on the lake, and sent a large 
supply of materials to Niagara. Do you see 
the place ?" 

" Yes, sir." 

" This was to be the spot for building their 
new storehouse. They thought that this would 
ruin Oswego ; for they supposed that the In- 
dians, who came from the west to traffic, would 
stop at Niagara, instead of going two hundred 
miles farther to Oswego." 

" And did the French succeed, sir ?" 

*' Oh yes. They erected a new storehouse 
and repaired the old fort, and the Onondaga 
Indians gave them permission to do it ; but all 
the other Indian nations were opposed to it 
They declared that the country where the new 
house was building belonged to the Senecas. 

" But Governor Burnet then built a fort at 
Oswego, determined to defend the English 
traders. This was no sooner done, my children, 
than the French governor, Beauharnois, sent a 
written summons to the officers posted there tc 
abandon it." 



202 HISTORY OF 

" And did they obey, sir ?" 

" No, no, my lads. Beauharnois then sent a 
message of complaint to Mr. Burnet." 

" And what then, Uncle Philip ?" 

" Burnet supported his own officers — said 
that they were right ; and he, in his turn, com- 
plained of the French works at Niagara. 
There was a cunning Frenchman, by the name 
of Joncaire, who caused much of this trouble. 
Colonel Schuyler, my children, made many 
attempts to get possession of this man, but did 
not succeed." 

" He was one of those Frenchmen, I sup- 
pose, who travelled among the Indians to make 
them dissatisfied ?" 

" Yes. But there is another thing about 
the fort at Oswego which I wish you to re- 
member. Governor Burnet not only built it, 
but it was erected at his own private expense." 

"Ah, Uncle Philip, that proves that he loved 
his country." 

" I think so ; and the reason why I wish you 
to remember it is this : — some people have 
said that Burnet did not love this country, and 
that he was not a kind and good governor. 
As we go on, however, I think we shall sec 
more to convince us that this opinion is false. 



NEW-YORK. 203 

And now, my children, I will give you a 
piece of advice, which I hope you will think 
upon long after Uncle Philip is dead. * Always 
strive to please God, and never study too hard 
to please men. Men sometimes become tired 
of an individual who once possessed their love, 
and frequently without any reason for it ; but 
God never becomes tired of a good man. 
This was the case with Governor Burnet. 
Many of the people became displeased ; and 
just think, children, why they were displeased 
— ^because Biu^net made such preparations for 
the French — made that law about the French 
trade, and spent money." 

" But, sir, he spent his own money." 

" Surely he did, but still they were not satis 
fied ; and Mr. Burnet resigned his government 
in New-York, and went to Massachusetts to 
take the command there. They thought this 
a most fortunate event then; but afterward, 
when the King of France showed plainly that 
he was their enemy, and that he wished to get 
possession of a large part of America, they saw 
their mistake." 

" They wished that Mr. Burnet was back 
again, I suppose, sir ?" 

" Indeed, they did. And, as he is now about 



204 HISTORY OF NEW-YORK. 

to go to Massachusetts, let me say another thing 
of him. He was not Hke so many of the gov- 
ernors who ruled in America — avaricious. He 
did not worship money." 

" W,ell, Uncle PhiHp, I should like to follow 
him into Massachusetts." 

" But this, my lad, we cannot do now ; but 
we shall hear of him again. At present, we 
will stop. The next man that w^e shall talk 
.about, I think, will be John Montgomery. Wc 
will look after him to-morrow. I hope these 
stories may not prove dull to you. If they do, 
I will talk about some other subject." 

" No, Uncle Philip ; I learn a great deal by 
listening, and I am anxious to know something 
about my own country. Good-by, sir." 

" Farewell, my young friends." 



END OF VOL. I, 



